Page:Weird Tales Volume 36 Number 11 (1943-05).djvu/108

 young life came when the mother of a friend, to whom I had lent my collection of two years of the magazine, threw the whole stack out in a frenzy of housecleaning. I've never been able to replace them. In a fit of insanity I clipped my next two years, taking out my favorite yarns—and have kicked myself at the proper intervals ever since.

My first attempt at fiction was inspired by a story in —probably another of Hamilton's—and even I knew that it was terrible. A fan magazine printed it later as a horrible example of what goes on before a writer gels. Not until much later did I write anything that was fit to send to an editor. Meanwhile, the Miller career has not been particularly exciting. Because arts degrees were a dime a dozen prior to 1929, I majored in chemistry at Union College, got an M.S. in 1932, and found that in those times I had to have a Ph.D. to be worth hiring. The fooling around I had done with writing came to the rescue, and by devious paths I am now in a job in which I am writing news stories, taking photographs, editing reports, sitting on committees, and writing radio scripts for the Schenectady Department of Education—and enjoying it greatly, for all it leaves precious little time to write, except in school vacations.

When I can, I like to get outdoors and soak up the wilderness. It's more than two years since I've been able to go on a camping trip in the Adirondacks, but I tried to get a little bit of the mountains into John Cawders Wife. I have aspirations as an amateur archeologist—a small toad in a comfortable puddle—and probably would be content to spend my days scratching around with a trowel and brazenly advancing theories on the typewriter. I hope that I can put some of the fascination of this study into words for Weird Tales some day without completely outraging my scientific friends.

But this is the story of John Cawders Wife as well as of its author. Like many of my attempts, the story started with a title that floated up out of nowhere one night and was written down for safe-keeping. Ideas began to associate themselves with it: a woman who would be the wife not only of one John  PREPARE FOR A GOOD WAR TIME JOB* WITH A PEACE TIME FUTURE / Trained Electrical men are needed now. It's not how young you are, or how old you are. The question is Have YOU the training to hold a good war-time job today—and to insure your future after the war? /^ELECTRICITY IN 12 WEEKS ON REAL MOTORS, GENERATORS,ETC. 'SmanaL tyukîfaiinùuj. Electricity is the mighty power behind our Victory Program. Men are needed now and as Electricity is essentially the same in war time as peace time Electricity ofiers a big future when the war is over. "Learn by Doing" in 12 weeks. You don't need much money—I'll finance your training. "Lea rn-By-Doin g" Coyne training is EASY, PRACTICAL! Here you can train in 12 weeks—not by correspondence, but on real actual electrical machinery and apparatus. You "Learn by Doing" on real motors, generators, switchboards, and all types of practical electrical equipment. Get your training first—then pay for it in easy monthly payments after your training period is over. If you are short of money to pay for living expenses while you are in school, we'll get you a part-time job so you can "earn while you learn". After you graduate, we give you LIFETIME EMPLOYMENT SERVICE. You don't need experience or advanced education. The Coyne "LEARN-BY-DOING" way makes it easy. Get the Facts This school is 44 years old—Coyne training is tested and proven. Mail the coupon and let me send you the big, free Coyne Book and my complete story about how I help you get the training you need for a good-pay electrical job. This does not obligate you. No salesmen will call. So act at once. Just mail coupon. H. C. LEWIS, President COYNE ELECTRICAL SCHOOL 500 S. Paulina St. Dept. 43-66 Chicago, 111. H. G. LEWIS, President» I COYNE ELECTRICAL SCHOOLg I 500 S. Paulina Street, Dept. 43-66, Chicago, HI. ISend me your Free Book and tell me about your plans g I to help me. ■S ■NAME S ■H IADDRESS 12 ■2 I CITYSTATE3