He carried out his plan, with much discomfort to himself, for he hated early rising, but the ruse gained him nothing. Mrs. Biggs arrived and took his place. Not so much as a day was lost to Jane. By the end of the week, his irritation and his curiosity had grown to such a size that he was persuading himself that he owed it to himself to know where she went. After all she was his wife; he had a right to know what she was doing. So for two mornings when Jane went to the tenement room to write, Jerry sauntered along far enough behind her to escape detection. Both days he saw her disappear up the tenement stairs, and half an hour of waiting did not see her come down again. But Mrs. Biggs was at the studio. What could Jane be doing in that building?
The third day he was rewarded for his trouble. Shortly after she had entered the building he saw Christiansen arrive. He evidently whistled up the tube, for she came down at once and they went away, talking earnestly. Jane seemed excited. Jerry rushed around the corner and up the block. At the next crossing he came sauntering toward them.
"Oh, Jerry!" said Jane, surprised but unembarrassed.
"Good-morning, Mr. Christiansen," said Jerry shortly. "You're an early riser."
"Yes."
"Do you, like my wife, take your exercise at this hour?"
"Sometimes. I exercise all day. I always walk."
"Mr. Christiansen is going with me to do an errand," Jane said.
"Don't let me detain you," Jerry remarked.
"We are in rather a hurry," said Jane unconcernedly.