We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
CHAPTER XXIII 79 From these two, or at least apparently from these two, came a more recent story, which offers some of the points of each in this combi- nation : Two men are cast away. Previously one has been justifying to the other his action in taking over this other's bankrupt business, reorganizing it and selling out at a profit of $100,000. He con- tended that the second man was not businesslike and that since he (the speaker) had revived the dead business he was entitled to the profit on it. The bankrupt makes the shore and takes possession. The other man is stranded on a rock. The bankrupt not only makes him pay rental for coming upon the island, but makes him pay fabu- lous sums for meals and spring water. When the $100,000 is gone the bankrupt amuses himself by setting the capitalist to work, sit- ting in the shade and watching him. He pays in script. The capi- talist works overtime. When they are rescued they find that the capitalist not alone has earned his $100,000 back, but that through careless accounting the bankrupt now owes him an additional $50,- 000, proving the point the capitalist had sought to make. It is possible, even probable, that the writer never saw the other sto- ries, but they offer so excellent an example of combination they are given here for comparison. 27. Facts and themes may also be combined. It is known that the magnetic needle of the compass points approximately to the north. It is known that iron or steel near the compass needle will deflect it. Combination of these two facts have brought many plots along dif- ferent lines. A locomotive cannot pull a train if the drivers do not grip the track. Lanterns contain signal oil, a composition of lard and oil. The brakeman spills the oil from his lantern on the track and prevents the fast express on the up grade from crashing into the freight. 28. Another form of plotting is to select some suggestive title and work from that. This may sound absurd to the untrained writer, but it is used by many experienced authors with decided success. It is not necessary that the title should be self-explanatory. Take for exam- ple the title "Just Around the Comer." Almost anything may be just around the corner, from happiness to a policeman. Later you may think of a better title and retain the original to suggest another plot. Building a plot from a story may seem like building a barrel around a bunghole, but sometimes the scheme \vill work when no other will. If a suggestive title is used, it should not be retained if it reveals too clearly the idea of the play. 29. These are the methods most generally in use. Another scheme that has been suggested (by a Boston newspaper) is the Idea Ma- chine. This may be a set of packs of cards about fifty each. Part of them are nouns, others adjectives or verbs. Each pack is shuffled and one of each is drawn at random. You will get a meaningless jumble, but often there will be a plot suggestion. Perhaps the draw will show: "Lawyer—counterfeits—woman—runs—automobile." This may sug- gest to you a story in which a la\\'\'er induces a woman to pose as the