The mirror., 1923-09-20

That proves it. It's phantom, moth
ing else" exclaimed Peter.
In silence then, the two walked to the
front of the studio. 1t had grown dark.
Peter pressed the wall-switch and the
room grew light. He stopped to retrieve
a number of papers and periodicals which
had fallen from the table on to the floor.
As he arose, he held uppermost in his
hand the current number of the photo
graphic and art journal. Phillip saw it
first.
ooh Pete, the contest, the contest,-the
prize! Oh boy!-don't you see? The
phantom THE monster Just what we
need!"
Peter understood. Together they ex-
ecuted number of steps not known in the
terpsichorean art Then breathless, both
paused and looked at a wall calendar-the
date, June 18th. And the contest closed on
the 18th.
"Can we make it?" cried Phillip.
"We might, if we work tonight and get
the pictures in the morning mail for New
York"
"Then let's hurry" was the answer.
The negatives were speedily dried before
an electric fan. Contact prints were made
of each. The results did ample justice
to the awful image on the negatives.
While the indefinite and vague outline
rendered the prints bit hazy in appear
ance, this but enhanced and aggravated
the detestable aspect of the monster. A
dream picture indeed "a nightmare! A
phantom registered in black and white on
Photographic paper!
The two views were equally good ;-one
but supplemented the other, since one
showed the side, and the other the face
and front of the creature.
In spite of the excellence of the prints,
Peters artistic nature told him something
was lacking. Did they not seem to lack
something? An indefneable something?
'I know" he cried, "They're not large
enough! That's the trouble. Wait, Phil,
let's enlarge them."
The front view negative was placed in
the enlarging camera-the light turned on,
and the image was thrown on a large
screen on the wall. The effect was more
than Peter anticipated. The screen showed
magniied picture of the monster, grown
to enormous proportions. The creature
was crouched and appeared ready to
spring from. the wall upon Peter, 'its
creator. Phillip mumbled something about
'Frankenstein and the demon he Created
then Peter turned off the light.
"Thats the ticket" he said, "And luckily
I've got part of roll of thirty-six inch
charging paper on hand. Just wait
Phil, and you'll see something"
Two enlargements were made. Three
full feet wide and nearly four feet long,
they were. Far into the night the friends
misunderstanding, fixing and washing
these super-sized pictures. They lacked
trays large enough to contain the enlarge
ments, so they were laid on inclined boards
and developed with large wads of cotton
saturated with the developing solution.
They were fixed and washed the same
way
1t was nearly dawn when their labor
was completed. A large mailing tube was
improvised and the enlargements securely
packed and addressed to the Committee of
Judges of the H. Carson Broun Prize Pic
ture Contest. Then a short note was
written by Phillip to the committee ap-
prising them of the entry and concluding
with Peters name and address,-nothing
more.
To H. Carson Broun himself Phillip
addressed a lengthy communication. In
this he explained fully the history of the
phantom photograph as he and Peter
knew it. He added an appeal to the illus
trious author of "A Monster of Mars" to