The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-06-18
0ASSENANT,S TOzRAY
BY Gelett Burgess

~ haunted. that Briggs asserted that he had seer
and heard Passcvant after he disappeared nnd
that the Hutchleys thought they some
body or something. though obstacle was found
Thai IS. It's all except for Dcighton's astounding ex
planntIon of 1t all Briggs Hutchleys no one
could ever suspect of fnsehood haze often sus-
pected Deighton of bcng-welL call II practical
Joker 1t WAS pretty serious subject Joke about
but-tbere you are. pass II up
had known Passevant, not too Intimately. AS
one Of those professional chnps-the sort of
photographer who calls himself an artist and gives
you washed out brown prints several mats OF
neutral toned paper and signs his with Oh
pencil in one corner He tall and thin and pale
brown, not unlike of his washed sepia
prints I nlways thought he ought TO be retouched
and focused. He had pale blue pop-eyes md thin
Nandykc beard. You know the type. He photo
graphed women mostly posed them In Chinese
broidcrles, and all that sort OF thing
1t Briggs who 0rst told me Passovant was
missing ! don't know who else would ever have
missed Pnssevant very much but the two had struck
up some Scnt OF friendship, founded. ! think upon
the study of ants Briggs ants always bored to
death. He had a dozen little formicarles
with different species. and they always cScannc
into his cupboard The only fun about Is to
see them fight but Briggs woud never irh' Ni- he
only watched them intermlnabIy through big lens.
happened To meet Briggs In the Mon
day. and he told me that he was afraid something
had happened to Pnsscvont The last any one had
seen him Saturday afternoon. when OF
his fellow bonrdcrs had gone Into the studio That
about four O'Clock April IS, Passcvaut was
fusslne with his light, and hnd the lantern that
hung from the ceiling Of the studio down on the
floor. He didn't appear at the supper table that
night, and he didn't far any knew. sleep
In his This remarked, Passcvant
ordinarily as regular and as prosaic as clock.
Every the boarding house had little joke at
the photographers expense except the landlady who
seemed rather about II 1t was too funny 10
think OF Passevant leading double life even to the
extent of staying away for single night, When he
had stayed away two days, leaving no message, 1t
got beyond the Joke-especiay to the Iandlady, who
had always been fond of him. Every began
to discuss 1t In earnest | believe the police were
notified And then Briggs astonishing expert
ence
This was on Thursday evening l was reading the
evening paper alone when he burst into my sitting
room. Briggs Is a small round dark man. with curly
black hair, SO that when he appeared white a
sheet, his paeness gave him curious black-Ond-
white effect like pen and ink drawing. He
draughIsinan for n machine company. and he pro-
fcssed to look up to me exponent of literature
md the arts
"Say, I've just seen Passevanti" he exclaimed, nl-
most before entering.
well he's alive then. Thuts good" said For
too had feared n tragedy.
"He isn't alive"
81 thought you said you had just seen him"
81 did-about an hour ago"
"Wb! omethng happened to MIN since then?'
ooh. say What L is he wasn't alive
when ! him
Briggs didn't to realize how that sounded
o
wa bcS" said l.
I'm my room" Then. perceving my nmazement
le explained. ut Passeynnts ghost saw
"Ob," ] exclaimed Briggs had certainly begun to
make himself interesting at last. / settled back in
ny chair comfortably. Tell me all about It,"
"Thats Just what for" said Briggs 81 was
carfuy frightened at the time, I'm ashamed to say
;ut wanted 10 te YOU II 3 rather in your line, you
now He waved his band eXprcssiyely as If he
onsidcred authority the supernatural He
lad quite Gained down. and had begun to feel Inn
orlant.
How dyou know it wasn't Passeyant himself, in
he ncsh?" / inquired.
"Ab. flesh isn't Ike tbati" Briggs shuddercd-
why. damn it, man, could see right through him!
here was white picture frame behind him, and it
bowed right through his head. BY Jove, L guess
now II ghost when | one"'
Did he speak,
Briggs became embarrassed now for the first time.
ont know that l would believe anything so absurd
myself Bur he asked me to give him something to
at"
| had TO laugh. What did he want-anGeI cake:
White of cgg3 a soap bubble? don't know what
pooIis live on mostly
Briggs grave. You may laugh now-but you
wouldn't have laughed IL you had seen ii. was
cared deAth. l tried TO spe0k. l thought TO my
ELF Now. here's my chance at last but positively
oudn't utter word"
what did you do-Just gawk him
NO | r1ln. i mn out Of the room and locked the
oor behind me. You know there's hall exit f-om
he kltcheuctte. nearly fell down stairs, was In
uch hurry. 1T sckening. / could no more
ontro my Will than II # had been earthquake or
railroad wreck | acted automatically"
"Oh'' ] said probably you had been wondering
bout Passcvant and worrying about bim till Il got
n your nerves. il was hallucnatIon, undoubtedly
nlcss perhaps. 1t Passeyant alive"
with head | could see through? No. sir 1T was
lis doppeganger. spirit or astral body whatever
ou like to call It."