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'Oh,' said Tuppence with the air of one enlightened 'More than you expected, I suppose'

'Naturally,' said Tommy, 'it always is'

'I can't think e didn't train as plumbers,' said Tuppence 'If you'd only trained as a plu in money day by day'

'Very short-sighted of us not to see these opportunities' 'Was that the plu at just now?' 'Oh no, that was just an Appeal' 'Delinquent boys - Racial integration?'

'No Just another Ho for old people'

'Well, that's more sensible anyway,' said Tuppence, 'but I don't see why you have to have that worried look about it' 'Oh, I wasn't thinking of that' 'Well, ere you thinking of?'

'I suppose it put it into my mind,' said Mr Beresford

'What?' said Tuppence 'You know you'll telliht that perhaps - well, it was Aunt Ada'

'Oh, I see,' said Tuppence, with instant comprehension

'

Yes,' she added, softly, meditatively 'Aunt Ada'

Their eyes rettably true that in these days there is in nearly every faht be called an 'Aunt Ada' The names are different - Aunt Arandreat-aunts But they exist and present a problem in life which has to be dealt with

Arrange after the elderly have to be inspected and full questions asked about theht from doctors, from friends, who have Aunt Adas of their oho had been 'perfectly happy until she had died' at 'The Laurels, Bexhill', or 'Happy Meadows at Scarborough'

The days are past when Aunt Elisabeth, Aunt Ada and the rest of them lived on happily in the homes where they had lived for many years previously, looked after by devoted if some-tihly satisfied with the arrangeent nieces, seood hoood meals a day and a nice bedroom Supply and des are different

For the Aunt Adas of today arrangements have to beto arthritis or other rheumatic difficulties, is liable to fall downstairs if she is left alone in a house, or who suffers frohbours and insults the tradespeople

Unfortunately, the Aunt Adas are far e scale Children can be provided with foster homes, foisted offon relations, or sent to suitable schools where they stay for the holidays, or arrangements can be made for pony treks or camps and on the whole very little objection is ements so made for them The Aunt Adas are very different Tuppence Beresford's own aunt - Great-aunt Primrose - had been a notable trouble~ maker Impossible to satisfy her No sooner did she enter an establishood ho a few highly co this particular establishnantly walked out of it without notice

'Impossible I couldn't stay there another minute!' Within the space of a year Aunt Primrose had been in and out of eleven such establish to say that she had nowage and he badly needs looking after I have rented a flat and he is coement wLll suit us both perfectly We are natural atTmities You need have no more anxieties, dear Prudence My future is settled I a my lawyer tomorrow as it is necessary that I should make some provision for Mervyn if I should pre-decease hih I assure you at the moment I feel in the pink of health' Tuppence had hurried north (the incident had taken place in Aberdeen) But as it happened, the police had arrived there first and had re for so hly indignant,, and had called it persecution - but after attending the Court proceedings (where twenty-five other cases were taken into account) - had been forced to change her views of her protggg

'I think I ought to go and see Aunt Ada, you know, Tuppence,' said Tommy 'It's been some time' 'I suppose so,' said Tuppence, without enthusias has it been?' Tommy considered 'It must be nearly a year,' he said

'It's more than that,' said Tuppence 'I think it's over a year' 'Oh dear,' said Too so fast, doesn't it?

I can't believe it's been as long as that Still, I believe you're right, Tuppence' He calculated 'It's awful the way-,ne forgets, isn't it? I really feel very badly about it' 'I don't think you need,' said Tuppence 'After all, wcS,nd her things and rite letters' 'Oh yes, I know You're awfully good about those s0r of things, Tuppence But all the sa' 'You're thinking of that dreadful book we got from the library,' said Tuppence, 'and hoful it was for the poor old dears How they suffered' 'I suppose it was true - taken from life' 'Oh yes,' said Tuppence, 'there must be places like that nd there are people who are terribly unhappy, who can't lelp being unhappy But what else is one to do, Tommy?' 'What can anyone do except be as careful aspossi, blen'ery careful what you choose, fred out all ibout t ar after her' 'Nobody could be nicer than Dr Murray, you must adtnit that'

'Yes,' said To from his f'qce

'Murray's a first class chap Kind, patient If anything was · 'd going wrong he let us know' 'So I don't think you need worry about it,' said Tuppehce

'How old is she by now?' 'Eighty-two,' said Tommy 'No - no I think ,it's eity three,' he added 'It must be rather ahen you we outlied everybody' 'That's only e feel,' said Tuppence 'They don't feel it' 'You can't really tell' 'Well, your Aunt Ada doesn't Don't you relee hich she told us the nuan, Ive heard she won t six months She always used to say I was so delicate and now it's practically a cert-inty that I shall outlive,h-er Ou?ive her hy a good many years too" Triumphant, that s what she was at the prospect' 'All the same -' said Tommy

'I know,' said Tuppence, 'I know All the sao' 'Don't you think I'ht?' 'Unfortunately,' said Tuppence, 'I do think you're right

Absolutely right And I'll coht note of heroism in her voice

'No,' said Too' 'Not at all,' said Mrs Beresford 'I like to suffer too We'll suffer together You won't enjoy it and I shan't enjoy it and I don't think for one moment that Aunt Ada will enjoy it But I quite see it is one of those things that has got to be done' 'No, I don't want you to go After all, the last tihtfully rude she was to you?

'Oh, I didn't mind that,' said Tuppence 'It's probably the only bit of the visit that the poor old girl enjoyed I don't grudge it to her, not for a moment' 'You've always been nice to her,' said Toh you don't like her very much'

'Nobody could like Aunt Ada,' said Tuppence 'If you asksorry for people when they get old,' said Tommy

'I can,' said Tuppence 'I haven't got as nice a nature as you have' 'Being a woman you're more ruthless,' said Tommy

'I suppose that ot tis I mean I', if they're nice people But if they're not nice people, well, it's different, you must admit If you' re pretty nasty when you' re twenty and just as nasty when you're forty ava nastier still when you're sixty, and a perfect devil by the tihty - well, really, I don't see why one should be particularly sorry for people, just because they're old You can't change yourself really I know sohty Old Mrs Beaucharandmother, dear old Mrs Poplett, who used to come in and clean for us The3 were all dears and sweet and I'd do anything I could for them

'All right, all right,' said Tommy, 'be realistic But if yot really want to be noble and come with me ' 'I want to come with you,' said Tuppence 'After all, married you for better or for worse and Aunt Ada is decidedly the worse So I shall go with you hand in hand And we'll take her a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates with soft centre, and perhaps a ht write to Mis,, What's-her-nae Tuesday,' sale Toht for you' 'Tuesday it is,' said Tuppence 'What's the name of woman? I can't remeins with a P' 'Miss Packa

rd' 'That's right' 'Perhaps it'll be different this time,' said Tommy

'Different? In ay?' 'Oh, I don't know Soht be in a railway accident on the way there,' sale Tuppence, brightening up a little

'Why on earth do you want to be in a railway accident?' 'Well I don't really, of course It was just ' 'Just what?' 'Well, it would be an adventure of some kind, wouldn't it', Perhaps we could save lives or do so' 'What a hope? said Mx Beresford

'I know,' agreed Tuppence 'It's just that these sort of idea come to one sometimes'

CHAPTER 2 Was it your Poor Child?

How Sunny Ridge had co prorounds were flat, which was eminently more suitable for the elderly occupants It had an aarden It was a fairly large Victorian ood state of repair There were so up the side of the house, and two ave an exotic air to the scene There were several benches in advantageous places to catch the sun, one or two garden chairs and a sheltered veranda on which the old ladies could sit sheltered from the east winds