"Oh, not that. I know he can’t. But if you’d be sensible about those letters, I believe he’d be willing to put down the trust’s wages and join us in this fight." "What did you tell the men’s committee?" "I didn’t show them what I felt," said Forbes. "That would never do. You can’t tell workmen what you really think. I just said if they wanted to strike, they would have to strike." Luke flung aside Forbes’s arm. "Then stick to that," he said. "But, Huber——" Luke interrupted. He fronted Betty. "Betty," he said, "do you understand what your father is asking me to do? You know how I am placed, and you heard my speech to-night. Now, your father wants me to go back on all that in order to save him from poverty and you from poverty and me from poverty and defeat. I won’t do it. Whether you like it or not, I won’t do it!" The girl got up slowly and put a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes, as she looked from one man to the other, were very beautiful, but they were firm. "Father," she said, "I’ve learned a lot lately. Luke’s right and—and I’m with him." Forbes turned toward her irritably. "Oh, go to bed!" said he. Luke laughed and, reaching up, patted the hand that was on his shoulder. "No, no," he protested, "you mustn’t intrigue with my allies, Forbes." "Well," said Forbes, "you’ll see that I’m right if you keep on antagonizing these people." "We can starve them out." "Not before there is violence." "The law will defend us there. We’ll have the police: they can’t deny us adequate protection in such a matter—and if we have to, we’ll get the Governor to call out the troops." Forbes argued and pleaded for a long time, but to no avail. Luke would not go over to his enemies: the strike must proceed. "I’ve got to leave you now," he said. "I’ll have to have a statement ready about this for the papers first thing in the morning. Perhaps I’ll get out of the Subway at Fourteenth Street and open up the League’s headquarters and get it ready there." It was Betty that stopped this plan. "You’ll do nothing of the sort," she ordered. "You’re tired out. I won’t let you kill yourself." She kissed him on the mouth. "You must promise me to go straight to the Arapahoe and to sleep." At the touch of her lips, he softened. "All right," he promised, "but I’m no more sleepy now than you said you were an hour ago." §12. Luke would not have had to open the offices of the Municipal League; that was being attended to. While he was still in the Subway train returning from Brooklyn to Manhattan, two men, one of them carrying a small bundle, crossed Union Square and turned down Broadway. Before the entrance to the building in which the League was housed, they paused to speak to a policeman. "That’s all right," he told them. "I know. I got me orders ten minutes ago. That’s why I’m standin’ here. But get a move on, you fellows. I don’t want to stick here all night." The two men rounded a corner.