Cirrus@Austlit

A lonely digger aimlessly roams his small town, but the narrator knows what has broken the man's spirit. Serving in France in 1916, 'Bluey' had a sweetheart, a pretty local girl, Marmette. However, his discovery that she and her 'father' were really spies compelled Bluey to inform his superiors, which led to his being involved in their capture. Worse still, Bluey formed part of the firing squad that administered their punishment.

A successful businessman, whilst employing his son in the family business, disapproves of his son's intended fiance and believes the young man has no sense of responsibility. When the son objects, the father dismisses his son and challenges him to make good in business. Four years later, the father is stunned to find he has been outmanoeuvred by a mystery businessman.

When two men discuss the evocative power of scents, one is prompted to tell the other of a strange encounter he once had, and to show him the scented handkerchief he keeps as a reminder.

Two Chinese men endeavour to extort gold from each other, with one resorting to bribery and the other, murder. Justice, however, eventually prevails.

Though Guiseppe had endeavoured to make his fortune in a new country, things had not gone according to plan, so he decided to return to his native Italy as soon as he could save enough money to do so. However, when his widowed neighbour's toddler becomes ill, Guiseppe sacrifices his opportunity to return home by secretly donating all his savings to the child for medical treatment.