▁b imon th ly , ▁a ▁change ▁which ▁stayed ▁in ▁effect ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁magazine ' s ▁run ▁four teen ▁years ▁later . ▁ ▁None ▁of ▁these ▁changes ▁had ▁the ▁intended ▁effect , ▁and ▁sales ▁continued ▁to ▁l angu ish . ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁Wright ▁left ▁and ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Mc Il w ra ith ▁as ▁editor ; ▁histor ies ▁of ▁the ▁magazine ▁differ ▁as ▁to ▁whether ▁he ▁was ▁fired ▁because ▁of ▁poor ▁sales , ▁or ▁quit ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁health — he ▁was ▁by ▁now ▁suffering ▁from ▁Park inson ' s ▁so ▁sever ely ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁trouble ▁walking ▁un ass isted . ▁ ▁Wright ▁then ▁had ▁an ▁operation ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁pain ▁with ▁which ▁he ▁suffered , ▁but ▁never ▁fully ▁recovered . ▁ ▁He ▁died ▁in ▁June ▁of ▁that ▁year . ▁ ▁Mc Il w ra ith ' s ▁first ▁issue ▁was ▁dated ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁assist ed ▁by ▁Lam ont ▁Buch an an , ▁who ▁worked ▁for ▁her ▁as ▁associate ▁editor ▁and ▁art ▁editor ▁for ▁both ▁We ird ▁T ales ▁and ▁Short ▁St ories . ▁ ▁August ▁Der le th ▁also ▁provided ▁assistance ▁and ▁advice , ▁although ▁he ▁had ▁no ▁formal ▁connection ▁with ▁the ▁magazine . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁Mc Il w ra ith ' s ▁budget ▁went ▁to ▁Short ▁St ories , ▁since ▁that ▁was ▁the ▁more ▁successful ▁magazine ; ▁the ▁payment ▁rate ▁for ▁fiction ▁in ▁We ird ▁T ales ▁by ▁ 1 9