Who's that little chatterbox? The one with pretty o'erburned locks? Whom do you see, this little orphan Annie? She and Sandy make a pair, they never seem to have a care. You said oh, she, this little orphan Annie. Bright eyes, she's a rosy glow, there's a store of healthiness handy. My side's always on the go, if you want some more, I said Sandy always wears a sunny smile. Now wouldn't it be worth the while, if you could be like this orphan Annie? Well here it is, 5.45 again, the time when you hear orphan Annie before drinking your old footy every night. If you haven't sent for your ring yet, you certainly want to get busy right away. Believe me, you're going to be thrilled when you see what a beauty it is, and how big and shiny and expensive looking it is. Because it's a genuine gold plated ring, yes sir, it's finished in genuine 24 karat gold plate with a special rose gold finish over that. Just imagine how bright and shiny it will be, and besides, it's an automatic fitting ring, so you can adjust it exactly right for nearly anything you want to wear it on. But remember, that's only the beginning, just wait until you see the keen looking stone that's set in this ring. Boy it's a sparkler, it's a handmade simulated birthstone, specially imported from Europe. What's more, it's a big stone, three-eighths of an inch across, and it sets up high on a stylish modernistic setting in your ring, so nobody can miss seeing it shining and sparkling when you wear it. And best of all, it will be your own special birthstone, yes sir. Annie sees that you get the right birthstone in your ring for the month you were born in. For example, if your birthday comes in October, like Annie's does, you'll get a beautiful simulated rose zircon in your ring. Or if you were born in January, your stone would be a simulated red garnet. Or if your birthday comes in February, you'd get a simulated amethyst, a beautiful purple stone in your ring. And you should see the other birthstones for all the other different months. They're all beauties too, and your ring will be different from everybody else's unless their birthday comes the same month as yours. Besides all that, remember, this ring shows everybody the exact month you were born in and the special birthday sentiment for your month. Now just think of that. For example, if your birthday comes in October, like Annie's does, your ring will have October spelled right out in the middle, close to the stone where everybody can see it. On the other side of the stone, it will say, Hope, because that's the special birthday sentiment for October. And say, can't you imagine how proud you'll be to own a wonderfully different ring like that, with your own birthstone and birth month and birthday sentiment right on it? Nobody ever had a ring like it before. We've seen some rings with imported simulated stones like these selling for as much as $2 to $4 in a store. But you can't buy an orphan Annie birthday ring like this anywhere. They're not for sale because they were made up specially just for Annie's radio friends who are drinking Ovaltine every day. Then you can get one for only $0.10 in coins and just one Ovaltine aluminum seal. That's the biggest bargain you've ever seen, so don't lose any more time, but send for yours right away because here's all you have to do. Just print your name and address plainly on a piece of paper. Next, put down your birthday month, showing the exact month in which you were born. That's very important so Annie will know exactly what kind of birthstone to have put in your ring. Then just mail that paper in together with all of the thin, round aluminum seal from underneath the lid of a can of Ovaltine and also $0.10 in coins. Mail it to Little Orphan Annie, Chicago, Illinois. Or if you live in Canada, mail it to Ovaltine, Peterborough, Ontario. That's all there's to it. So remember, you put three things in the envelope when you send in for your ring. First, you put in the paper with your name, address, and birthday month printed plainly. Second, you put in an Ovaltine aluminum seal. And third, you put in $0.10 in coins. And then just mail the whole thing in to Little Orphan Annie, Chicago, Illinois. And Annie will send you your beautiful gold-plated birthstone ring just as fast as she can. So get busy right now. And now, tonight's adventure starts right where we left off yesterday in Mr. Caslin's newspaper office in Simmons Corners. You remember, Jake, the owner of the Emporium, was telling Mr. Caslin and Annie and Joe how he was so sick that he'd have to close the store every afternoon and take a nap. Oh, but listen to what Mr. Caslin had to say to that. Yes, Jake, I got an idea. Ay, ay, ay, maybe it's an idea I should use, huh? Well now listen, Jake, it not only concerns you, but these two children here, too. I? Uh-huh, here's poor Jake. He's sick. He probably oughtn't to be working at all. You should take the words out of my mouth, Mr. Caslin. That's what Dr. Riggs said, too. He says you're a sick one, all right, Jake. Maybe you shouldn't work at all. I thought so. Ay, ay, ay, but what should happen to the business if I shouldn't work? Well, we have to keep the Emporium running. Dr. Riggs, he says every afternoon should I have a nap. Ay, ay, ay, I should close my store just so I could have a nap yet. Well, listen, Jake, here's my idea. Why not get Annie and Joe here to help you run the Emporium? How? Golly! I think it would be a good idea. They could come down and help you out afternoons, after school, and on Saturdays. What do you think of that, Annie? I think the lizard... I don't know. I don't know, Mr. Caslin. I never came to the store before. Neither did I. What do you think of the idea, Jake? Good. Do you think they could do it yet, Mr. Caslin? I can't think of anybody around Simmons Garns who could do it any better. What would you do if you didn't get anybody to help you? What could I do, Mr. Caslin? Only close up the Emporium oily and go have that nap. That's what the doctor says. Well, that's just why you'd be making a big mistake, Jake. You have to keep the Emporium open from nine o'clock until six every day. If people came there and found the front door locked and nobody around, what do you suppose they'd think? Such a business. They'd think you'd gone out of business, Jake. They'd stop going to the Emporium. Ay, yi, yi. If six people stopped coming to the Emporium, there shouldn't be any business yet. Well, that's the whole idea. You want to keep the store open the regular hours every day. Now, you can't do that and have a rest every day like the doctor ordered unless you get some help. I can't pay no great big salaries, you see. I don't think Annie and Joe here would want a whole lot of money with Jan and Joe. Oh, golly, Mr. Caslen, we'd be glad to do it, just to help out, Jake. He's sick and he has to take it easy. No, no. You can't work for nothing. That ain't fair either. Well, gee, Jake, we haven't even said we'd do it yet. I'm still thinking it over. You're not scared, are you, Annie? Of course we're not scared, Mr. Caslen. It's only that we don't know anything about running this store. That's all. It's a business. You could show them you couldn't do it, Jake. Sure, I'll show them. It ain't nothing, only knowing yet what everything costs and making change and the wrapping bundles. Jumping grasshoppers. I've got an idea. There's a whole lot more than that to it. Well, maybe there is, Annie. The thing you ought to do is go down to the emporium with Jake and find out. He's sick and the doctor says he should have a rest every afternoon. You can help him out afternoons and Saturdays. Getting along towards the cold weather now and there isn't much to do outside. I suppose it works if he's busy. Why do you think we could do it, Mr. Caslen? I reckon I know what you two children can do. Helped me a lot with the Gazette and Chronicle, didn't you, when I first came here? I've got an idea you can do the same thing for Jake. Probably make things hum up and down Main Street here for a while. I guess someone's going to suspend a little of that. Gee, I don't know. What do you think, Joe? Shocks, Annie, I don't know. It's up to you. I like you should help me, Annie. You've got the good business head, I bet. I like the idea, Annie. It ought to be a lot of fun to him in store. You could do it. You know how to make change and talk to people. There's nothing for you to be afraid of. Oh, we're not afraid, Mr. Caslen. I'm just thinking that's all. I tell you, Annie and Joe, it won't be much, but I tell you... Oh, that's not it, Jake. It's not the money we're thinking about. We'd be glad to help you out, wouldn't we, Joe? Sure. No, no. You shouldn't wait and not get paid. I pay you, yes. You wouldn't have to give us any more than you thought we were worth. We could work for a while and then you could decide how much we were worth. I know what had happened. Before long, Jake would be giving the two of you an interest in the business. I ain't got no problems yet, Mr. Caslen. There ain't nobody to keep the Emporium going after I'm gone. Well, before long, you'll probably have two of them. I know these children, Jake. Sure. I know them pretty good myself. Well, it's up to you, Annie. What do you think? How about it, Joe? I'll do anything you want, Annie. You go ahead and decide. Hmm. All right, we'll do it. Aye, aye, aye. There you are, Jake. Now you can go right ahead and be as dicked as you want. We've got a couple of the best assistants in Simmons' corners. Oh, no, Mr. Caslen. We want them to get well. That's why we're going to help them. You come down to the Emporium after school tomorrow, huh? Tomorrow, I got to go by Sunfield and see about specialists. Sure, we'll be down tomorrow, Jake. You can start teaching us what to do. I don't expect we'll learn it all in one afternoon, but we'll try hard anyhow. It's hard, this learning that everything is. You learn where all the stock is, and then it's easy. Well, we'll see when we get down there tomorrow. We'll come right after school tomorrow, Jake. You are lifesavers, maybe, huh? I shouldn't forget how you helped me out. No, golly, Jake. Don't be spinning any bouquets on us until you see how we do. Maybe we won't make storekeepers after all. Sure you will. Sure you will. You've got the good business head. I can see it. I can see it playing. Well, the big thing is, Jake, you can go ahead with your doctrine. You won't have to worry about the Emporium. I know Annie and Joe will look after you just as well as anybody could. We'll do our best, won't we, Joe? Sure we will. Now I've got to hurry back by the store. Maybe there's been a lot of customers. Maybe I lost some good business. I've got to go, Mr. Coslin. It's all right now about that $22.15? Sure, Jake. Your credit's good as a gazette, Chronicle. If you want to run another ad in the meantime, you just let me know. I've got nothing special to sell right now, Mr. Coslin. I don't need no advertising yet. But I'll tell you that $22.15 in two weeks. That's all right, Jake. Well, I've got to go now. Hey there, be careful. You look a little bit wobbly. It's like the bell on the front door yet ringing in my ears. Say, you'd better sit down again for a minute. No, no. I'll be all right now. I've got to get back to the store. You'll be careful now. You want Joe and me to walk back to the store with you, Jake? No, no. I'll be all right. See, I'm all right now. Goodbye, Mr. Coslin. Goodbye, Jake. Don't I see you and Joe at the store tomorrow afternoon? Sure, Jake. Hey, what's the matter? Hey there, Joe. Grab him. Here, Jake. Gosh. Gosh, he almost fell over. You'd better sit down again, Jake. It's all right now. I feel better now. I've got to get back to the Emporium. I think you children are better taking back there. I don't think you can make it yourself. No, no. I'm all right. Be here now, Jake. I don't think you could get across the street by yourself. You let Annie and Joe take you back to the store. Sure, Jake. We'll take you back. I don't see how you'll be able to get to Sunfield to see that specialist by yourself tomorrow. I ought to have somebody to go with you. I should get a little rest. I'll be all right. You'd better rest all day then so you'll be able to go. Say, why are you going to get over there? I take the bus. Nothing doing. You get one of the boys from the livery stable to drive you over. Probably be glad to do it for a dollar. Then you'll have somebody to look after you. We could go with you, Jake. No, no. You've got to stay and watch the store. I'd better get him back to the Emporium now, Annie and Joe, so he can get rested up. He ought to be in bed now. That's where he ought to be. We'll take care of him, Mr. Caslin. Come on, Jake. Well, isn't that just like our Annie? She's pitching right in and helping poor old Jake already and say, won't it be fun when Annie and Joe start heading to the store? But I wonder what Mr. and Mrs. Silo are going to say when they hear the news. And don't forget what I told you. If you haven't sent in for your orphan Annie birthday ring yet, you certainly want to get busy right away because thousands of boys and girls everywhere are sending in for this beautiful gold-plated birthday ring with a big, shiny, sparking birthstone in it, and they'll all begin wearing theirs mighty soon now. So ask your mother to get a can of Ovaltine at her drug-rer grocery store right away. And as soon as you get it, take out all of that thin, round aluminum seal from underneath the lid of the can and send it in together with ten cents and coins and a piece of paper showing your name, address, and birthday month printed plainly. Mail it to little orphan Annie, Chicago, Illinois, and then Annie will send you your beautiful gold-plated birthstone ring just as fast as she can. And don't forget, be here right on time tomorrow at 5.45 to hear the exciting things that will be happening to Annie next. So until tomorrow at 5.45 then, goodbye. munic.info
