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1 A FAIRY IN THE FLAT

Mrs Tholoomily out of theof the flat The prospect was not an extended one, consisting solely of a small block of flats on the other side of the road Mrs Beresford sighed and then yawned

"I wish," she said, "so would happen"

Her husband looked up reprovingly

"Be careful, Tuppence, this craving for vulgar sensation alarms me"

Tuppence sighed and closed her eyes dreamily

"So Tommy and Tuppence were married," she chanted, "and lived happily ever afterwards And six years later they were still living together happily ever afterwards It is extraordinary," she said, "how different everything always is fro to be"

"A very profound stateinal Eminent poets and still more eminent divines have said it before-and, if you will excuseso, have said it better"

"Six years ago," continued Tuppence, "I would have sworn that with sufficient s with, and with you for a husband, all life would have been one grand sweet song, as one of the poets you seem to know so much about puts it"

"Is it me or the money that palls upon you?" inquired Tommy coldly

"Palls isn't exactly the word," said Tuppence kindly "I's, that's all Just as one never thinks what a boon it is to be able to breathe through one's nose until one has a cold in the head"

"Shall I neglect you a little?" suggested Toht clubs That sort of thing"

"Useless," said Tuppence "You would only meet me there with other men And I should know perfectly well that you didn't care for the other women, whereas you would never be quite sure that I didn't care for the other h"

"It's only in modesty that men score top marks," murmured her husband "But what is thediscontent?"

"I don't knoant things to happen Exciting things Wouldn't you like to go chasing Gerain, Toh once Of course I know you're more or less in the Secret Service now, but it's pure office work"

"You uised as a Bolshevik bootlegger, or so of that

"That wouldn't be any good," said Tuppence "They wouldn't letto do so badly So"

"Wo his hand

"Twenty oing to perfection You have nothing to complain of, have you?"

"Your housekeeping is so perfect, Tuppence, as to be almost monotonous"

"I do like gratitude," said Tuppence

"You, of course, have got your work," she continued, "but tellfor excites to happen?"

"No," said Tommy, "at least I don't think so It is all very well to want things to happen-they s"

"How prudent hed Tuppence "Don't you ever have a wild secret yearning for romance-adventure- life?"

"What have you been reading, Tuppence?" asked Tommy

"Think how exciting it would be," went on Tuppence, "if we heard a wild rapping at the door and went to open it and in staggered a dead man"

"If he was dead he couldn't stagger," said Tommy critically

"You knohat I er in just before they die and fall at your feet just gasping out a few enig like that"

"I advise a course of Schopenhauer or Emmanuel Kant," said Tommy

"That sort of thing would be good for you," said Tuppence "You are getting fat and comfortable"

"I a exercises yourself"

"Everybody does," said Tuppence "When I said you were getting fat I was really speakingprosperous and sleek and comfortable"

"I don't knohat has come over you," said her husband

"The spirit of adventure,"for ro a man, a really handsome man-"

"You have h for you?"

"A brown lean , the kind ofand lassoos wild horses-"

"Complete with sheepskin trousers and a cowboy hat," interpolated Tommy sarcastically

"-and has lived in the Wilds," continued Tuppence

"I should like him to fall simply madly in love with me I should, of course, rebuff hie vows but o out to him"

"Well," said Toirl A girl with corn-colored hair ill fall desperately in love with me Only I don't think I rebuff her-in fact I am quite sure I don't"

"That," said Tuppence, "is naughty temper"

"What," said Tommy, "is really the matter with you, Tuppence? You have never talked like this before"

"No, but I have been boiling up inside for a long tierous to have everything you want-including enough s Of course there are always hats"

"You have got about forty hats already," said Tommy “and they all look alike"

"Hats are like that," said Tuppence "They are not really alike There are nuances in the"

"If you haven't anything better to do than going on buying hats you don't need-"

"That's it," said Tuppence "That's exactly it If I had soood works Oh, To would happen I feel-I really do feel it would be good for us If we could find a fairy-"

"Ah!" said To that"

He got up and crossed the roo table he took out a sht it to Tuppence

"Oh!" said Tuppence, "So you have got them developed Which is this, the one you took of this room or the one I took?"

"The one I took Yours didn't come out You under exposed it You always do"

"It is nice for you," said Tuppence, "to think that there is one thing you can do better than me"

"A foolish remark," said Tommy, "but I will let it pass for the moment What

I wanted to show you was this"

He pointed to a sraph

“That is a scratch on the film," said Tuppence

"Not at all," said Tommy "That, Tuppence, is a fairy"

"Tommy, you idiot"

"Look for yourself"

He handed her a lass Tuppence studied the print attentively through it Seen thus by a slight stretch of fancy the scratch on the filed creature perched on the fender

"It has got wings!" cried Tuppence "What fun, a real live fairy in our flat Shall rite to Conan Doyle about it? Oh, Toive us wishes?"

"You will soon know," said To to happen all the afternoon"

At that minute the door opened, and a tall lad of fifteen who seee boy inquired in a truly nificent manner:

"Are you at Ho"

"I wish Albert wouldn't go to the Pictures," sighed Tuppence after she had signified her assent, and Albert had withdrawn "He's copying a Long Island butler now Thank goodness I've cured hi them to me on a salver"

The door opened again, and Albert announced: "Mr Carter," h it were a Royal title

"The Chief," reat surprise

Tuppence juray-hairedeyes and a tired smile

"Mr Carter, I alad to see you"

"That's good, Mrs Toenerally?"

"Satisfactory, but dull," replied Tuppence with a twinkle