The scene of this story, the small city of Grand Republic in Central Minnesota, is entirely imaginary, as are all the characters. But I know the characters will be "identified," each of them with several different real people in each of the Minnesota cities in which I have happily lingered: in Minneapolis St. Paul, Winona, St. Cloud, Mankato, Fergus Falls and particularly, since it is only a little larger than "Grand Republic" and since I live there, in the radiant, sea-frothing, hillside city of Duluth...