e saw the look of dread and horror
on the comely young face pass away and a faint smile part the lips that
were already touched by the grim shadow of coming dissolution. Some of
her village playmates and companions, with wet cheeks, bent their faces
and touched her lips with theirs, and to each she sighed a low _To Fa_
of farewell, and then she looked toward the shaking bent figure in the
chair and beckoned him over. With noiseless tread he came, and then,
with her very soul looking at him from her great, death-stricken eyes,
she murmured, "Fear not, my father, my mouth is covered by the hand of
Death; farewell!" *****

The sound of the soft lapping of the falling tide came through the open
window as Luisa spoke again to Toe-o-le-Sasa, the Maid of Apia--"E Toe,
_e pae afea te tai_?" ("When is the tide out?") And the girl answered
with a sob in her throat, "In quite a little while, O friend of my
heart."

"_Ua lelei_. (It is well.) And as the waters run out so does my soul
float away!" and she turned her face to her mother's bosom. And as we
went softly out from the room and stood upon the path with the lofty
palm-plumes rustling above us, we saw the first swirling wave of the
incoming tide ripple round Matautu Point and plash on Hamilton's beach.
And from within the silent house answered the wail of Death.

THE FALLACIES OF HILLIARD

I.

With clenched hand grasping the two letters--the one that sank his last
hope of saving his plantation, and the other that blasted his trust in
human nature--Hilliard, the planter of Nairai Viwa, walked with quick,
firm step to his house, and sat down to think awhile. The great cotton
"burst-up" had ruined most men in Fiji, and although long delayed in his
case the blow had crushed him utterly.

An angry flush tinged his set features for a few seconds as he re-read
the curt, almost savage denial, by his father of the "couple of
thousand" asked for. "A fool to resign his commission in the Service and
go into a thing he knew nothing about, merely to humour the fantastic
whim of a woman of fashion who will, no doubt, now sheer very clear of
your wrecked fortunes."

Ten minutes previously when Hilliard, who had thought his father would
never see him go under for the sake of a couple of thou., had read these
lines he had smiled, even with the despair of broken fortune at his
heart, as he looked at the other letter yet unopened.

Kitty, at least, would stick to him. He wa