The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-02-28
THE YELLOW FLAG.
Plan Of an Artist By which He sav.s
Himself From Hln Friends.

vivial. but who is willing to work IL
no one calls on him, removed To a .
suburban town last summer so that
he might finish lot of illustrations
which he had promised.
New York is all right" he said \
TO his friends, but / know too
many people here, and my friends
keep calling on me in my studio,
and this sadly interfeTea with my
work. have selected Lonelyville
because my wife likes il and know I
absolutely no one in the place. / 4
have orders for a years work, and
l simply must do II on time. You
fellows may come out to see me ON
Sundays, but not ON weekdays"
Several weeks later some Of his
friends from New York went out to .
see the artist on Sunday and they .
found him enthusiastic about the .
place.
There is a fine lot of fellows
here" he said. land have enjoyed
the town immensely. have Joined .
a yacht club, bowling club, a whist
club and a Saturday night smoker 4
club. Found several old friends out
here also"
But / thought that you came .
here so that you might do your
work without interruption" said .
one of his callers.
We'll, yes, that was my reason,
and as soon as / have met all the I
boys and each of them has made his I
call on me / can settle down and I
make up for lost time.
A month later the publishers for !
whom this artist worked began to |
complain that they had received no |
illustrations from him. The artist |
made promises and broke them. !
Finally one of the publishers went |
out to Lonelyville to investigate.
He found that the artist was out
yachting. He waited for him, and !
then laid down the law to MIN.
This book must come out on
time, said the publisher, "and
will give you just one month more |
on which to finish your illustrations
If they are not done then. we will
get another man and never give you
any more work.
When the publisher went, the art
list said to his wife: Now what am
| going to do about thisf l can't pos
sibly tell my friends to stay away
for a month. They wouldn't under
stand my purpose. The committee
from the yacht club il coming here
tomorrow afternoon, and ON the fol-
lowing day / expect some of the
whist club men, and SO IL goes What
ann to dot"
The artists wife was ingenious,
and she explained little scheme of
her own TO her husband When the
committee from the yacht club call
ed the following day. they saw big,
yellow flag flying over the door.
Underneath il was big placard on
which was printed: Keep of. Con
tagious disease here. They did
keep off, and soon all Lonelyville
knew about it, The local health Off
Ger went around to investigate, and
after a short conversation with the
artists wife he went away with a
broad smile on his face. When the
other inhabitants of Lonelyville
questioned him about the case, he
looked serious and said that he was
not at liberty to say what the dis
ease was, but that no one was likely
TO catch il unless he went into the
house. During the next month that
flag waved and no one saw the art
ist The publisher got his illustra-
tions, and then the flag was hauled
down, and the health officer an
nounced that il would be safe to call
on the artist. His friends in the town
came around to see him and con-
gratulate him on his recovery. He
didn't look like a man who had been
through a serious illness.
What was the diseasei" they ask
ed.
"Loafing," said the artist serious
ly. He then explained that he had
quarantined the house not against
loafing within, but against his
friends who might come and infect
him with il. The idea of the yellow
flag impressed his acquaintance and
in accordance with their advice the
artist still uses il. Four or five days
week this flag flies before his door,
and none of his friends calls. As soon
as il is hauled down they know that
the artist Is ready to receive them,
and they call. The artists publish
ers heard of it, and as an evidence
of their gratitude they sent him
big yellow silk flag which hasn't its
equal in Lonelyville--New York
Sun