NOTHING DOING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10769, 15 May 1913, Page 2

NOTHING DOING.

This story is being told of a famous theatrical manager and a still more famous artist. The manager called on the artist one day and asked him to paint a curtain for bis theatre. '•' Have you ever seen any oi iny pictures?" asked the painter. " No," was the answer, " hut t hut's not the question. You are- fa nous, and it's vour name I want. It will be a good advertisement." "What is the size of the curtain?" asked the painter, who saw inmiorws possibilities in the situation. The manager told him the size and the pflinter went on: "Let me think fo.- ii moment. I wish to work out; a couple of little sums in my head." Tiie manager waited impatiently. Then the painter &ai(i: "My pictures se'l at an average price of over sev*-n hundred pounds per square rard. Your curtain will work out at srmie+hi :g a litth under two hundred thousand pounds. I should be delighted to undertake the work at that price were it not for a second consideration. "When working at my highest I require six months to complete a canvas of one foot square. Thus you may expect to have your curtain in about a, hundred years. Do yon accept my conditions?" There was no answer. The manager was already half-way down the stairs!