Lingard036

34

a platex.

"Sadie out too the night?"

Mrs Jackson's back stiffened. "Well, she's not in."

"Linda saw her on the way home."

Mrs Jackson infused, th e tea and set it on a low gas. She set^placed
two cups on the draining board. "You take milk and sugar, don't you,
Mrs Mullet?"

"Two ^sugars please. Yes, Linda was saying she saw her^{saw Sadie} waiting on a bus."

Mrs Jackson poured the tea and gave a cap to Mrs Mullet. Then
she sat obwn herself and faced the television ^squarely. "Would you like to
see the film?"

"Not particularly. I've seen it before anyway."

They drank their tea and ate biscuits to the low accompanying hum
of the television set. Mrs Jackson was bracing herself for the next
remark.

"A I know it's none of my business, Mrs Jackson, and y but I'm
right fond of Sadie and I wouldn't like her^Sadie to get into any harm -"

Mrs Jackson cut her off. "That's all right, Mrs Mullet. You
don't need to worry about Sadie for me. She's got her head screwed
on."

"There's been times when it seems to come a bit loose. Oh I'm
not criticising her, don't think that for a minute. You know I'm
right fond of her and she and Linda have been as thick as thieves
since they were in the cradle."

Mrs Jackson s rose and turned up the volume of the television