Behind the News (Details)
citation: Good Housekeeping, November 1952, 135(5):58-59, 180, 182-186, 188-189
alias: None
teaser: Suppose you read in the paper tomorrow that you were going to marry Johnnie Ray, or win the Irish Sweepstakes, or have a baby. And suppose it came true!
summary: Johnny Deutsch, owner and editor of the Clarion weekly newspaper he inherited from his father, composes a false story about Police Chief Quayle being attacked by wolves. Johnny's secretary, Miss Garraghty, chides him for this, complaining he is worse than was his father at creating mischief.
For example, she explains, Johnny's father found a meteorite, and threw it into the lead box used to make type for the Linotype machines. The remainder of that meteorite remains on Johnny's desk as a paperweight, imprinted with his birthdate and an inscription that he would "make his mark on the world."
Disappointed he's not lived up to the prediction, Johnny throws the inscribed meterorite into the lead box, melting it. He returns to writing false stories, this one about Chief Quayle having the seat of his pants torn out by a Dalamatian.
Because Johnny's attention was diverted by talking to the town clerk, Miss Miriam Zeebley, the story about Chief Quayle is inadvertently printed in that week's edition of the Clarion. As he despairs over his error, a young boy comes into the newspaper offices, laughing about having seen the seat of Chief Quayle's pants being torn out by a Dalmation.
Realizing what he writes in the Clarion comes true, Johnny creates a story about his engagement to Miriam Zeebley. Rather than having the desired effect, however, Miriam is offended Johnny would write such a falsehood.
Johnny hypothesizes the story about Miriam did not come true because it was too unlikely; not reasonable enough. He then composes a new story where Miriam accompanies him to the Old Nakomis Country Club dance. That, and another story about Chief Quayle getting the mumps, comes true.
Johnny continues making up reasonably possible stories that come true, eventually understanding the Clarion's power to cause future events comes from the meteor he melted with the type used in the paper.
While listening to political news on the radio, Johnny considers writing stories about the outcome of elections. Miss Garraghty, who has done some research of her own, discovers stories Johnny's father wrote with meteor-derived type, also came true; like the October 28, 1929 stock market crash, and the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.
Johnny agrees with Miss Garraghty to remove any meteor remaining the box used to make type, but not before he writes one last story, to be kept in his safe until exactly nine months after his elopement.
words: 4,952
genre: None
similar: None
people: Johnny Deutsch, Police Chief Wendell E. Quayle, Miss Garraghty, Nat Rubin, Mayor Schimmerhorn, Miriam Zeebley, small boy
places: Unspecified: Culver Street, Yancy Creek, Old Nakomis Country Club
comments: Forthcoming