The Nevada County picayune., 1923-02-15
The Prize of the
 Battle

Ev JUSTIN WENTWOOD



 inches taller. They squared up to each other Nearby stood golden haired girl, watching them with unmistakable interest.
 Will you leave my girl alone:'
 "She isn't your girl!''
 Bing! Riff They were at 1t ham mer and tongs The storekeeper's son put up a plucky fight, but he Was out mastered from the beginning. M a minute the storekeepers boy rolled in the dust
 Say, will you leave her alone?'
 No"
 I'll smash your face in !"
 Harry For shame! Aren't you ashamed; boy of your age, striking down poor Roger? Go and find some one your own size to fight with"
 The girl assisted Roger Benson to his feet and they walked away to- gether. Harry Soames, the judges son, watched them sullenly. He didn't quite understand The girl ought to have gone to the victor Why had she turned him down?
 Harry Soames was back from col lege, and there was big party up at the Soames place. The Soames family was we'll connected. Myra was dis tant connection, although poor branch of the family Still, she and her mother had been invited to the garden party. The great tin of ice was late. But soon the wagon was seen careering along the road, Roger Benson pulled in his horse, got down, and lifted it out.
 Thanks, my man. You can set it down there!"
 Roger, in his dusty working clothes, flushed to the roots of his fair hair. He felt awkward, embarrassed under the gaze of the ladies. He set the tin down and turned away.
 Thank you so much, Roger. I know you wouldn't disappoint us.
 It was Myra speaking. Roger braced up. smiled back. Harry Soames gave her sullen glance. Somehow she seemed to have destroyed all the ef- feet of his superiority. And what did she mean by speaking like an equal to the son of a tradesman?
 And he recalled dimly how, years before, when he had beaten Roger in the vanquished instead of with the victor.
 Years had passed. Myra and Harry Soames were supposed to be as good as engaged. Roger, the young lawyer, had left off calling at the house. He was, in fact. ostracized in the town, for he was handling the government case against the SoameS.
 Father and son stood indicted for corruption and wholesale bribery and graft It meant a sentence of long imprisonment for both, if they were convicted. And Myra was their cousin.
 When she had stopped to speak to Roger in the street he had said: 'I mustn't ask for your friendship any longer. Myra, now I'm prosecuting. Let this be good-by.'
 And Myra had hurried away.
 The effort of the young lawyer had attracted nationwide recognition. It was an intricate cas", an involved One and a terribly complicated one. False evidence was rampant. IL was the universal feeling that. despite young Benson's masterly handling, the Soames family could not he convicted For one thing they stood too high. They We're aS good as above the law.
 DI. l,S aI,l hoI hnnp was speech by Benson that would make his reputation. No office was to he too high for him theneeforward. He knew that. He had heard the cheers that broke out in the court room with inevitable satisfaction. but with a sinking heart.
 This meant Sood-by to Myra forever. And he had dared to hope, to dream. that some day-but now he knew it was hopeless. If he won. he could never speak to her again. If he lost she was, they said, only waiting until Harry Soames' name was cleared in order to marry him.
 The jury was coming back, and he put the thought of Myra resolutely out of his mind.
 We find the defendants not guilty on each and every count of the indictment
 So il was over. He had lost. He saw Harry Soames grinning, malevo- lent face He saw the rally of the people to the rich man. He went out quietly, dscredited. He had fought a good fight but he had lost, as he lost every contest with Harry Soames