The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-13

life, relieved of wearing responsibilities.
He was well fixed financially and still in
the prime Of life-not due to retire
permanently, but ready to take it easy.
to travel beyond the limits of his native
land. Mrs Willoughby, who in the
home circle was known as i" Ma, = was
a devoteelo of the Chautauqua circle, and
she, too, had an ambition born of much
reading to pack up and go somewhere.
The family doctor said that visit to
some milder climate. far from the riigors
of northern winter, would be positive
benefit to her.
So Mr.. and Mrs. Willoughby began to
study the. atlas One of the sons sug-
gested to cold Man, Willoughby that
he could take a trip to an attractive
southern country at the minimum ex-
pense by securing an appointment as
consul. And, of course, apart from the
glory Of representing a great narion
and hosting the flag over a benighted.
foreign population. The suggestion
appealed very strongly to Mr.. Will
loughby. He wrote to the congress
man and the senator and wanted to
| know if there was a vacancy-salary
no object, but he would like to go into
a mild and equable climate where he
could pick cocoanuts. ,
His friends at Washington simply
overturned the state department in
their eagerness to give him what he
wanted. They discovered. that there
was somewhere on the map city
called Gallivancia. 1t was down by
the southern seas-the abode of per-
preliminary boom as resort. The act
ing consul had been a British subject.
The pay was so small that no enterpris-
ing American had wanted the job:
"United States consul at Gallivancia'
reverberated pleasantly in the magma
ticn Of Mr.; Willoughby; He told his
place, and in less than no time his
daily paper announced that he had
"accepted the appointment.
The politicians represented to the
; state department. that Mr.. .Willoughby
was sturdy patriot. of unimpeachablee
GhcS and and great av ab msS haS Of
added that he would be just as much at
home in Gallivancia as polar bear
would be on India S coral strand.
The news of the appointment gave
one section of Michigan the trembles
for several days, and the Willoughby
family was bathed in new Importance.
Mrs. Willoughby was given a formal
ldIeWell ny Inc 1duleS OIL Inc COuSIeSd'
ton assembled in the church parlors.
I Mr.. Willoughby was presented. with a
jeweled badge by the members of his
lodge and the band. serenaded him the
night before he went away. IS
I He and ma stood on the back
i platform and gazedE with misty eye at
4 The 4aatter OF handkerchiefs on the sta
tion platform until tho train swung
around a curve and they found them;
y selves headed straight for Gallivancia
2 and glory Both Of them felt a little
heartachy 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 al
Gallivancia.. .,2., VI, =. .:.s = 80 -
Now, Gallivancia is the make-believt
capital of a runt of an island having. nc
: commercial or other Importance. Nc
matter where an island may be dropped
down, some nation must grab it and
hold it for fear that some other nation
will take charge of it and pay the ex
penses. That is why Gallivancia had
governor general and colonel; in
command. the Right Honorable Skipper
of the gunboat and a judge and clus
ter Of foreign consuls. The men haC
a club at which whisky and water could
be obtained, unless the bottle happened
to be empty. The women exchanged
calls and gave formal dinners anC