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Show . . . i dcuuis on wooamansK; The I Fiction INFECTIOUS LAUGH Corner with Ethan. The comedian was Inspired. In-spired. After the show a man came up and sat down at Ethan's and Abigail's Abi-gail's table. Abigail introduced him as the owner of the stock company show where she sold tickets. His name was Jones. "Listen," said Mr. Jones. "We'll pay you $5 a night to come and laugh at our show. It's supposed to be a funny show. You can put it across." Ethan scratched his chin. He looked at Abigail. He said: "Well, I dunno. For $40 a week I might consider It." "Sold!" said Mr. Jones. Ethan looked at his wife when he got home. "You planned itl" he accused. i "Sure," said Abigail have something it shot: ln on. You can laugh ; riches, my dear." Times were setting t pie were buying antiqui beginning of 1936 Ik quite well. That mm: larged his shop. Well." said Abigail, guess we laughed cur t that depression all rif Ethan kissed her. Tiw back his head and bej: He laughed loud and Icq he said. "That laugh Is cost any one a cent I laugh because I wu: of charge. Honey, 1 1 "Ditto," said Abigal i - IT WAS ETHAN PRYOR'S laughter laugh-ter that first attracted Abigail to him. When Ethan laughed every one else laughed. The sound had that mirthful, appealing quality that was infectious. It was good to hear. It gave you a feeling of well-being. well-being. This all happened in 1929, when Ethan's retail antique business was netting him $15,-000 $15,-000 a year. It was easy to laugh then. They were a jolly couple. In 1931 Ethan's retail antique business dropped off from one-half its top amount to one-third, then to one-quarter. That year passed and the next. The Pryors didn't find it so easy to laugh. They I gave up their 3" MiflUtS seven-room Fiction apartment and moved into a less expensive one. In January of 1934 they moved to a single room in an unfashionable unfashion-able part of the city. Ethan was barely making enough to keep them from starving. Abigail hunted for a week and eventually won for herself a job. It wasn't much of a job. She sat behind a glass window all afternoon after-noon and evening selling tickets for a stock company performance. The stock company wasn't doing so well. It looked as though it might fold up any day. But it paid $15 a week and would have to do until she could get something better. Inspired, a little ashamed, Ethan went job hunting him-self. him-self. He hunted a week, two weeks, without success. He began to brood. Abigail did her best to cheer him up, to get him into a happy frame of mind. "Let's hear the old laugh ring out, darling. A pleasant frame of mind is half the battle." She sat on the arm of his chair. "Tell you what. Let's celebrate. Let's take $5 and go down to Tony's. We can have a gay time for a change " THEY WENT to Tony's. 'They drank wine and ate a big dinner din-ner They danced. They sat and watched the floor show. It wasn't a bad floor show. Among other things there was a comedian The comedian was sad. He wasn't funny. But Abigail laughed. She laughed as though she thought he was tremendously funny Ethan looked at her. A fond light came into his eyes. She was trying to be gay. She Was d 8 cou d to bolster up his spirits. He could at least help. Ethan laughed, n was the old TrouT aPPealing lauh It rolled out and filled the room Others heard it others laughed They couldn't help ,t. They laughed |