The mirror., 1923-09-20
llwater, Minnesota, Thursday September 20, 1928

Carefully he began to examine the phan-
tom negative. He had used plate five
inches wide and seven inches long. On
this the tintype should have appeared but
a little smaller,-about four by six inches,
leaving an equi-distant margin on all
edges of the plate. Instead of this, the
image of the creature (if creature it was)
covered the entire plate.
Peter was a very rational and self-pos-
sessed young man; yet what he saw on the
negative might well have made more
phlegmatic man distraught.
The uncanny creature possessed eight
legs, disproportionately large and long for
its body. The body itself, was huge and
bulky. The head, which looked small,
terminated in an enormous beak or bill,
shaped like parrots. The creatures body
was not covered with fur it had hairs
so it appeared, but these hairs might we'll
have been spines or quills, for they were
very coarse and scattered sparsely over the
monsters entire body and legs with the
exception of the beak, which was smooth
and polished.
Peter could not accurately judge the size
OF the monster. Had there appeared other
objects on the negative, its size might have
been determined by comparison. Yet
Peters Imagination, and his yet vivid
dream, more than supplied this deficiency.
What made the phantom seem even more
dreadful was the fact that the image did
not have sharp and we'll defined outline.
1t resembled, in this respect, the photo
graphs which have lately become so pop
ular, known as soft focus photos. These
pictures have vague and elusive outline,
"a pleasing and artistic effect. In the
case of the phantom photograph the effect
was anything but pleasing. 1t distorted
the creatures form and rendered the object
but still more revolving and repulsive.
Peter felt his flesh creep as he gazed-awe
struck-spellbound
But Peter was not the man to become
stupid by his amazement. Another min
ute of perplexity and he came to action.
Hurriedly placing the negative in a tray
to wash, he rushed for the telephone. This
was a matter to discuss with his comrade
and assistant. Phillip was in his room,
his landlady informed Peter. When
Phillips "helo" reached Peters impatient
ears, his summons to Phillip was almost
incoherent However, Phillip inferred
that his presence was wanted, and wanted
speedily at the studio
Without wasting time over useless ques-
tioning of Peter, whose excited tone of
voice alone aroused Phillips interest, the
latter terminated the conversation with the
word coming" and hung up the receiver.
When Phillip entered the studio and
looked through the door of the copying
room, he found Peter "up in the air" fig
uratively speaking, though literally on his
hands and knees, grasping, and evidently
searching beneath the copying easel.
Seeing Phillip he scrambled to his feet.
Siezing his arm he led Phillip to the wash
ing tray and removed the phantom neg
ative from the water and held it before
the questioning eyes of his friend. Then
he uttered his first word, "Look"
Phillip looked, and what met his gaze
caused him to avert his eyes.
"Good heavens what is it Pete?" he
whispered hoarely.
Usually fluent talker and a ready
questioner, the sight of this fPass 4. ool ~