Several summers ago, my wife and I had occasion to be in a little community in New York state which included the famous St. Elmo Hotel. Word had come to us that a former employee of the hotel, inspired by people and incidents encountered in and around the landmark building, had written a story titled, "St. Elmo's Fire." The story was eventually made into a movie by the same name. Naturally, we surveyed the premises for any sign of fire damage. Seeing none, we supposed that the fire at St. Elmo must have been confined to the interior. We wondered if a room had caught fire, a floor, a ceiling, a piece of furniture ... what? Whatever it was apparently had been restored with masterful skill because there was no visible evidence of damage or repair. Oh well, at least we would be able to report …