r them later. Eventually the plan was changed and the things
were given to Mr. Gurr, with whom the key of the house had been left.
This explains why so many glass bowls, etc., were bought by tourists
at Apia, and how every odd pen that was found was sold as Mr.
Stevenson's own and original. It was then that Mrs. Stevenson's diary,
to which I have already alluded, was overlooked in the packing, only
to turn up years afterwards in London.

It was a genuine grief to Mrs. Stevenson to sell Vailima, but, in
order to retain it she would have had to keep a force of men there
constantly at work "fighting the forest," which, if left alone for a
short time, speedily envelops and smothers everything in its path. If
even so much as an old tin can is thrown out on the ground tropic
nature at once proceeds to get rid of the defacement, and in a few
days it will be covered with creepers. So, with many a pang of regret,
the place was finally sold--with the reservation of the summit of Vaea
where the tomb stands--to a Russian merchant named Kunst. He lived
there for some time and at his death his heirs sold it to the German
Government, which purchased it as a residence for the German governor
of Samoa. So the flag of Germany flew over Vailima until the New
Zealand expeditionary force landed and took over the islands for Great
Britain, when the Union Jack was run up. The natives said that England
came to Tusitala, since he could not go to her, and when his own
country's flag blew out in the breeze over his old home one could
almost fancy that his spirit looked down and rejoiced. Since then it
has been used as the British Government House, and at present the
English administrator lives there with his wife and aides. Many
changes and enlargements have been made in it since it was the home of
Tusitala. The Germans cut a new road to Vailima from the highway, and
the Road of the Loving Hearts, which originally led to the house, now
leads to the burial place of the man for whom the grateful chiefs
built it long ago.

All was now ready for their departure, and their native friends
gathered from far and wide to take part in what was for them an event
of mournful significance. Tusitala's widow was not permitted to go out
to the waiting vessel in the ordinary boat, but was taken by the high
chief Seumanutafa in the cutter that had been given him by the United
States Government. The awning had been put up over it and it was all
trimmed for the oc