But the man had seen that the boss was watching him; he started on again, pushing his truck. “I don’t know anything about it,” he said, over his shoulder. “How should I know where your wife goes?”

Then Jurgis went out again, and paced up and down before the building. All the morning he stayed there, with no thought of his work. About noon he went to the police station to make inquiries, and then came back again for another anxious vigil. Finally, toward the middle of the afternoon, he set out for home once more.

He was walking out Ashland Avenue. The streetcars had begun running again, and several passed him, packed to the steps with people. The sight of them set Jurgis to thinking again of the man’s sarcastic remark; and half involuntarily he found himself watching the cars⁠—with the result that he gave a sudden startled exclamation, and stopped short in his tracks.