The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-11-29
WORKING UP A NOVEL.
Sensational Writer Gives an Insight
Into How 1t is Done.

Sensational Writer Gives an Insight
Into How 1t is Done.
Pittsburg Posts New York Letter.
A distinguished author of sensational novels
and dramas told me that he always found his
plots in actual occurrences. "The basis of
my blood-and-thunder," he said, "ls taken
out of real life, and on it l build my fiction
orinstance, am cogitating now over a thing
that has just happened-only III give you
fictitious names. Loretta Mason was pretty
creature with a score Of admirers, from among
whom she made choice of the-handsomest and
poorest Lewis Parkman; but after awhile she
threw him over for a rich suitor, Ammi Bank
son. Lew hesitated whether to commit sui
eide, but went West instead. He followed
the sun for year or SO, sometimes with pot
of money and quite as often locomoting ON his
superors At last he reached San Francisco,
where he Joined distant relative in business
as an undertaken. The firm made money,
and after fifteen years OF prosperity the senior
died, leaving Lew the entire business.
'One morning Lew got word that a gentle
man had just died at a hotel and that the SER
vices of the undertaken were needed forth
with. He jumped into the wagon with his
two assistants and rode around to the hotel.
Imagine the feelings OF the fashionable funeral
director upon entering the parlor to come face
to face with tall and stately lady, somewhat
inclined to embonpoint, but still making the
most of the beautiful fragments Of the for
mer beauty of Loretta. The door was open
and the body of the late Mr.. Bankson lay in
full view. The widow checked her tears, laid
her hand on Lewis arm and whispered: .Wil
you, my old friend, make all the necessary
arrangements? | desire to have Bankson
embalmed, and to return to the East as soon
as possible
''Now,n the author continued, ''the simple
fact is that the dead husband was buried, and
the widow is regarded by her friends as pop
sure to marry her old lover. But see what a
suggestion for a popular sort of story of
Bowery melodrama is in the case Let 1t glide
right into fiction from the point where
the truth ended. We will say that the
funeral director parted with his old sweetheart
in state of mind greatly lacking in lucldity.
He ordered his eX-rival's body conveyed to his
undertaking establishment and walked back to
his Offices As yet he had not seen the face OF
the man who had robbed him of his sweet
heart. How did he look now? What were
the changes that had taken place IN his face
A sudden and strangely strong longing tc
look upon the features OF his dead rival took
possession of him. He arose, opened the
door, and descended to the basement where
the operating and refrigerating room was sit
uated. Stepping to the side of the temporary
case which held Bankson's body, Lew slowly
raised its cover. There lay the man who haC
blasted the dearest and fondest dream of hi
life-now peacefully sleeping the sleep o
death. Farkman, with m-professional in
face, tcDk up one of the cadaver's hands
pressed its PALM Great heavens! There wa
warmth there Springng TO the window tn
undertaken drew aside the heavy curtain ant
turned to make closer examination Of tn
supposed corpse. Long years OF eXperienc
aided by a partial medical education in col
lege days had made Parkman an expert in de
tecting the presence of life in the human body
Hastily applying several tests the funeral d
rector reached the conclusion that Bankso
still lived, that he was in a cataleptc condition
that there was a chance that he would com
out of it in the course of a few hours. Sun
moning one of mis- assistants, Parkman d
rected him TO throw thin sheet over tn
corpse and not TO begin the process OF ell
balming until evening. At 2 he was to met
the fascinating relict of Ammi Bankson agaiI
Should he resuscitate the husband, and lot
her, or let her become marriageable widowi
s'Weli which did he do?"
"HoW do / know before I've laid out N
plot? But you see how we fictionists bui
on a basis Of fact"