By Reef and Palm

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Becke Louis. By Reef and Palm

INTRODUCTION

CHALLIS THE DOUBTER

"'TIS IN THE BLOOD"

THE REVENGE OF MACY O'SHEA

I

II

THE RANGERS OF THE TIA KAU

PALLOU'S TALOI

A BASKET OF BREAD-FRUIT

ENDERBY'S COURTSHIP

LONG CHARLEY'S GOOD LITTLE WIFE

THE METHODICAL MR BURR OF MADURO

A TRULY GREAT MAN

THE DOCTOR'S WIFE

THE FATE OF THE ALIDA

THE CHILEAN BLUEJACKET

I

II

III

IV

BRANTLEY OF VAHITAHI

I

II

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Four years had come and gone since the day that Challis, with a dull and savage misery in his heart, had, cursing the love-madness which once possessed him, walked out from his house in an Australian city with an undefined and vague purpose of going "somewhere" to drown his sense of wrong and erase from his memory the face of the woman who, his wife of not yet a year, had played with her honour and his. So he thought, anyhow.

You see, Challis was "a fool"—at least so his pretty, violet-eyed wife had told him that afternoon with a bitter and contemptuous ring in her voice when he had brought another man's letter—written to her—and with impulsive and jealous haste had asked her to explain. He was a fool, she had said, with an angry gleam in the violet eyes, to think she could not "take care" of herself. Admit receiving that letter? Of course! Did he think she could help other men writing silly letters to her? Did he not think she could keep out of a mess? And she smiled the self-satisfied smile of a woman conscious of many admirers and of her own powers of intrigue.

.....

"Farewell, O ULU TULA POTO (Wise Baldhead)," said Challis, as the boy, still chewing his sweet husk, walked back to the native houses clustered under the grove of PUA trees.

Ere dusk, Nalia came home, a slenderly-built girl with big dreamy eyes, and a heavy mantle of wavy hair. A white muslin gown, fastened at the throat with a small silver brooch, was her only garment, save the folds of the navy-blue-and-white LAVA LAVA round her waist, which the European-fashioned garment covered.

.....