The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-07-27
A BEST
SELLER
!. By MARY c. ATWOOD

How did he get his start?"
by misfortune
Come; cease to excite my curiosity
and tell me the story"
1T was this way: Comstock tried
scribbllng at home, but made no sue
cess. Whether he wrote over the
heads Of the people, or under them,
don't know. His stories didn't sell.
But Comstock had talent, and all he
wanted was something to start him.
One Of his friends told him to go
abroad. All Americans who succeed
in literature make their living abroad,
his friend said, and If Comstock was
going to succeed he'd have to 60 too.
There's literary atmosphere there
that doesn't exist here. Besides, the
crowned heads take an interest in
literary work, and king may make
an author if he chooses.
"Comst0ck was persuaded and went
abroad He picked up living for
awhile in London writing for the Eng
lish magazine papers, then went on to
the continent He finally drifted to
Constantinople, where he liked it so
well that he stayed there long while
and learned the language perfectly.
"All this while fame refused to perch
on his banner, but poverty did. When
he was pretty near starved in Con-
stantinople he got job to write a
serial novel for daily newspaper
there. He was to fill two columns a
day, no more and no less. The price
he was paid for his work was just
enough to keep him alive.
1T happened that he struck a vein
that was natural to him, and good
one too. He became absorbed in his
work and was glad to be absorbed, be-
cause it made him forget his troubles.
But having only enough writing to do
each day to occupy three or four hours,
he spent the rest Of his time planning
ahead. He would lay out impossible
situations just to keep himself busy
solving them. AS for his general plan,
that was so intricate that no one
would ever suppose 1t possible to ex-
tricate his hero from the ENHANCEMENT
into which an adverse fate had cast
him.
Zone day while he was at work on
policemen enter his den. Without a
word Of explanation he was ordered to
follow them and bring with him his
manuscript. 1t occurred to him that
something lie had written in his novel
about the government might have
caused his arrest, but this could not
be, for on his arrival he was not only
permitted to keep what he had writ
ten, but was commanded to finish his
work. That he might be well situated
to do so, he was given pleasant quar-
tiers and plenty to eat and drink. At
first he was SO frightened that he could
not write, whereupon member of the
government sent him word that he
was in no danger. This gave him
courage, and he pursued his task.
IF he was anxious to kill time be-
fore his arrest he was now doubly so.
He invented new complications and
unraveled them. The situation grew
more involved the nearer he approach.
ed the end, just as a stone revolved
about stick moves more rapidly as
the string is shortened. He devoted
every minute Of his time and every
fiber Of his brain to his work and ut
the end of few weeks after his i'm
prisonment wrote the concluding chap
ter.
when his story was finished he
dreaded the long hours Of confinement
during which he would be free to
brood upon his situation. He had not
received the slightest information as
to his offense. But he had not long to
fret. AS soon as his work was fin
ished his prison doors were thrown
open and he was permitted to go out
a free man, besides being given large
bag Of gold.
''As soon as he was released he made
inquiries of officials high in the serv.
ice Of the government as to why he
had been arrested and thrown into
prison and whence came the money.
''And what do you suppose was the
reason given? The sultan had one day
picked up copy Of the newspaper in
which his story was running and be-
came interested in it. Too impatient
to wait for it to come out from day to
day in small quantities, he had taken
q course to hasten the denouement.
"Comstock was just tickled to Death.
He sent in request through one OF
the sultans household asking II the
sultan would give him puff to print
with the publication of his novel in
America. He was told that the sultan
couldn't come down to that, but Com
stock hit on the expedient Of writing
out brief account Of the matter for
the newspapers. This lie translated
into English and got 1t started in
American Journals.
"Well, he published his novel, of
course, just as these notices about bis
being imprisoned because the sultan of
Turkey couldn't wait to see how it was
coming out were being copied from pa
per to paper. and everybody was crazy
to read the book. One edition after