The Washington herald., 1920-10-23
AN O. HENRY STORY
The Admiral

ria had no navy and had no use for
one. 1t was characteristic of Dor
Sabas-a man at once merry, learned,
whimsical and audacious-that ht
should have disturbed the dust oi
this musty and sleeping statute &c
increase the humor of the world By
so much as a smile from his indul'
gent colleagues.
With delightful mock seriousness:
the minister of war proposed tho
creation OF a navy. He argued its
need and the Glories it might
achieve with such gay and witty
zeal that the travesty overcame
nifty of President Losada himself.
The champagne was bubblinG
trickily in the veins of the mercu-
rial statesmen. 1t was not the Gus
tom Of the grave governors of An
churia TO enliven their sessions with
beverage so apt to cast veil OF
disparagement over sober affairs
The wine had been a thoughtful
compliment rendered by the agent
of the VeSuvius Fruit Company as
a token of amicable relations-anc
certain consummated deals-be'
tween that company and the repub'
lie of Anchuria.
The jest was carried to its end
A formidable, official document wa:
prepared, encrusted with chromatiC
seals and jaunty with futterine
ribbons, bearing the florid sigma
lures of state. This commission
conferred upon el Senior Don Felipe
Carrera the title of flag admiral OF
the Republic of Anchuria. Thu;
within the space of a few minutes
and the dominion of a dozen extra
dry" the country took its place
among the naval powers of the
world, and Felipe Carrera became
entitled to a salute of nineteen guns
, whenever he might enter port.
The southern races are lacking in
that particular kind of humor that
I finds entertainment in the defects
and misfortunes bestowed by ma
ture. Owing to this defect in theil
constitution they are not moved tG
laughter (as are their northern
brothers) by the spectacle of the
deformed, the feeble minded or the
insane.
Felipe Carrera was sent upon
earth with but half his wits. There
fore. the people of Coralio called
him TEL pobrecito loco"-"the poor
little crazed one"-saying that Goo
had sent but half of him to earth
retaining the other half.
\ sOmbre youth, glowering. and
speaking only at the rarest times
Felipe was but negatively loco"
On shore he generally refused all
conversation. He seemed to know
that he was badly handicapped on
land, where so many kinds of un-
Outstanding are needed; but on the
water his one talent set him equal
with most men. Few sailors whom
God had carefully and completely
made could handle sailboat
as well. Five points nearer the
wind than even the best of them
he could sail his sloop. When the
clements ragged and set other men
to covering, the deficiencies OF
Felipe seemed of little Importance
He was perfect sailor, If an i'm
perfect man. He owned no boat,
but worked among the crews of the
schoCntrs and sloops that SKINNED
the coast. trading and freighting
fruit out to the steamers where
there was no harbor. 1t was through
his famous skill and boldness on
the sea, as well as for the pity felt
for his mental inperfections, that
ne was recommended by the collect
or as suitable custodian of the
captured sloop.
When the outcome of Don Sabas'
little pleasantly arrived in the form
of the imposing and preposterous
commission, the collector smiled He
had not expected such prompt and
overwhelming response to his rec
omme ndation. He despatched a
muchacho at once to fetch the fu-
ture admiral.
The collector waited in his off,
cial quarters. His ONCE was in the
Gale Grande, and the isea breezes
hummed through its windows all
day. The collector, in white linen
and canvas shoes. philandered with
papers on an antique desk. A par
rot, perched on a pen rack, season.
ed the official tedium with a fire
of choice Castilian precautions.
Two rooms opened into the coIlec-
tors. In one the clerical force of
young men of variegated complex
ions transacted with glitter and
parade their several duties. Through
the open door of the other room
could be seen a bronze babe. guilt
less of clothing, that rollicked upon
the floor. In a grass hammock a
thin woman, tinted pale lemon,
y