第64部分(第3/4 页)

ublished　as　it　was　issued　in　its　installments。　Because　I　took　Charles　Dickens　as　my　model；　I　asked　several　people　how　Dickens　had　handled　the　problem　of　refreshing　his　readers；　recollections　at　the　beginning　of　each　new　episode。　I　had　expected　something　like　the　synopses　which　preceded　each　installment　of　my　beloved　Saturday　Evening　Post　serials；　and　discovered　that　Dickens　had　not　been　so　crude；　he　built　the　synopsis　into　the　actual　story。

While　I　was　trying　to　decide　how　to　do　this；　my　Wife　began　telling　me　（she　doesn't　exactly　nag；　but　sometimes　she　advocates　rather　ruthlessly）　that　I　had　never　really　finished　the　story　of　Mr。　Jingles；　the　circus　mouse。　I　thought　she　was　right；　and　began　to　see　that；　by　making　Mr。　Jingles　a　secret　of　Paul　Edgebe's　in　his　old　age；　I　could　create　a　fairly　interesting　〃front　story。〃（The　result　is　a　little　bit　like　the　form　taken　by　the　film　version　of　Fried　Green　Tomatoes。）　In　fact；　everything　in　Paul's　front　story　…　the　story　of　his　life　at　the　Georgia　Pines　old　folks；　home　…　turned　out　to　my　satisfaction。　I　particularly　liked　the　way　that　Dolan；　the　orderly；　and　Percy　Wetmore　became　entwined　in　Paul's　mind。　And　that　was　not　something　I　planned　or　did　on　purpose；　like　the　happiest　of　fictions；　it　just　ambled　along　and　stepped　into　its　place。

I　want　to　thank　Ralph　Vicinanza　for　bringing　me　the　…　serial　thriller　…　idea　in　the　first　place；　and　all　my　friends　at　Viking　Penguin　and　Sig　for　getting　behind　it；　even　though　they　were　scared　to　death　at　the　beginning　（all　writers　are　crazy；　and　of　course　they　knew　that）。　I　also　want　to　thank　Marsha　DeFilippo；　who　transcribed　a　whole　stenographer's　notebook　full　of　my　cramped　handwriting　and　never　plained。　Well　。。。　rarely　plained。

Most　of　all；　though；　I　want　to　thank　my　wife；