In ancient days people would gather around the campfire and, until more recent times, it was the most familiar way of hearing a story.The group usually assembled in the evening, perhaps after a meal, and a story would be told. The story-teller delivering it from memory, keenly aware of the rhythm and pace necessary to keep ears listening and senses heightened.Time passes and with the written story the same technique was used. In the pens of such luminaires as Wilkie Collins, Joseph Conrad, Willa Cather, Anton Chekhov and others the indelible mark of literary story telling continues.