"Your father," he panted. He looked away from her: "I must see him now."
Betty did not understand. She was only exalted by this new thing; she was only happy.
"Yes." He looked back at her and, with a white face, smiled. "He has a right to know." He caught her hand, pressed it only as tightly as he dared. "I’ll go to him in the library. Wait for me."
§5. Forbes was seated at a round table, engaged in his regular nightly task of reading the editorial-page of the _Evening Star_, nodding his head when he agreed with its generalities and muttering maledictions upon it when it specifically ridiculed the Progressive Party. As Luke came in, Forbes was in the midst of one of the paper’s attacks on progressivism, and his frown seemed to drive his beaked nose into his mustache.
"Oh, Huber," he said, without at once relaxing his scowl; "I didn’t know you were here. Come in. Been here long?"
Luke could not have guessed how long he had been in the house.
"Sit down," said Forbes. He had not risen. He indicated an easy-chair near his own.
"Thanks," said Luke; but he did not sit down.
Forbes at last noticed his visitor’s nervousness.
"I suppose you’ve had a hard day," he said. "Pardon me for not congratulating you sooner on your success. This sheet"—he brandished the _Evening Star_—"doesn’t want anything but to be against everything. It upsets me every evening. But you’ve done a big thing. I think you should have come clear over to our side, but I dare say you will do that in time. Meanwhile, I’m sincerely glad for your good fortune. You deserve it."
"You’re very good," said Luke. His eyes twinkled a little. "I wonder if you know about it—all."
"Only what this mealy-mouthed sheet says. It’s absolutely inexplicable to me, Huber, how a paper written by such able men can be so narrow-minded on broad subjects. However, I think they’re going to support _your_ party, if they may be said ever to support anything."
"I’m afraid they _are_ rather reticent about the real news," said Luke.
"They never tell anything that weighs against their theories."
"They haven’t had a chance to tell this."
"It’s only just happened." Luke breathed deeply. "I’m engaged to be married," he said. He spoke with an unusual rapidity. "Engaged to be married, and I’d like it to come off—the wedding, I mean—right after the election."