The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-13
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he never had asked anything for him. self. His two boys went to college at Ann Arbor, and when the younger came home with his degree and be- gan to take a hand in running the paper Mir Willoughby found himself. for the first time in his life relieved of wearing responsibilities. He was we'll fixed financially and still in the prime of life-not due to retire per manently, but ready to take 1t easy. For years he had nursed a vague de- sire to travel beyond the limits of his native land. Mrs. Willoughby, who in the home circle was known as Ma, was a devotee of the Chautauqua cir cle. and she, too, had an ambition born of much reading to pack up and go somewhere. The family doctor said that a visit to some milder climate, far from the rigor of northern winter, would be a positive benefit to her.
 So Mir. and Mrs. Willoughby began to study the atlas. One of the sons that he could take a trip to an at tractive southern country at the mini mum expense, by securing an appoint ment as consul. And, of course, apart from the financial advantage, there would be the glory of representing great nation and hoisting the flag over a benighted foreign population. The suggestion appealed very strongly to MT. Willoughby He wrote to the congressman and the senator and wanted to know if there was a va cancy-salary no object. but he would like to go into mild and equablc climate where he could pick cocoa- nuts.
 His friends at Washington simply overturned the state department in their eagerness to give him what he wanted. They discovered that there was some where on the map city called Gallivancia. It was down by the southern seas-the abode of per petual summer and already enjoying preliminary boom as resort. The acting consul had been a British sub ject. The pay was so small that no enterprising American had wanted the job. United States Consul at Galli- vancia" reverberated pleasantly in the imagination of MT. Willoughby. He told his friends at, Washington to go
 
 time his daily paper announced that he had accepted" the appointment.
 The politicians represented to the state department that MT. Willoughby was a sturdy patriot of unimpeachable character and great ability-all of which was true They might have added that he would be just as much at home in Gallivancia as a polar bear would be on India's coral strand.
 The news of his appointment gave one section of Michigan the trembles for several days and the Willoughby family was bathed in new impor- tance Mrs. Willoughby was given formal farewell by the ladies of the congregation assembled in the church parlors. MT. Willoughby was present ed wit. jewelled badge by the mem bers of his lodge and the band sere- naded him the night before he went away.
 He and ma stood on the back platform and gazed with misty eyes at the futter of handkerchiefs on the station platform until the train swung around curve and they found them selves headed straight for Gallivancia and glory Both of them felt little heart-achy and dubious, but it was too late to back out. At New York they boarded a ship and after several days of unalloyed misery they landed at Gallivancia.
 Now, Gallivanica is the make-believe