LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE AND SANDYBy Harold Gray, 1933CHAPTER 1One sunny morning Little Orphan Annie was all alone in Mr. Futile’s store. Suddenly the door opened and a big breezy man in a checked suit entered the store. “Hello, kid!” he said, leaning on one of the counters. “Where’s the boss?”“I’m the boss here,” answered Annie. “What can I do for you?”The stranger laughed as he looked at the little shop. “Ha! Ha!” he chuckled. “You’re the boss, eh? That’s a good one! This wouldn’t be a bad little store if it had the right stock. No money in this junk! I’ll sell your boss a line that there’s money in!”Hands on hips, Annie surveyed him shrewdly. “Oh, yeah?”What the stranger did not know was that when Mr. Futile was away (and sometimes even when he was there) Annie really was “the boss.” It was Annie’s money that Mr. Futile had invested in the store. Although Annie was only a little orphan girl whom the kind-hearted Mr. Futile had taken into his home, he was, as he said, “Real fond o’ her and proud o’ her heap o’ common sense.”As the salesman went out of the door, he threw a message back over his shoulder. “I’ll sell your boss big-town stuff. Sure-fire merchandise that the suckers will fall for. I’ll be back later.”“Suit yourself,” said Annie, but she did not trust him. Nor did she trust Mr. Futile. Sometimes his judgment was not as good as hers. So before Annie left for school, she went to their cash drawer. “I’ll just put all th’ cash in the bank on the way to school,” she said. “That’ll make it easier for Mr. Futile to say ‘no’ to that bird.”When Annie came home from school that night, Mr. Futile was puttering about in the back of the store; but everywhere, in every space, were boxes and boxes. “Great Scott!” said Annie. “What’s all that stuff?”Mr. Futile laughed. “Ha! Ha! I thought you’d be surprised, Annie. It’s new stock for the store. It was such a wonderful bargain, and I made the salesman take less than he asked, too.”Annie noticed the satisfaction in Mr. Futile’s voice. “Did you pay him for it already?” she asked.Mr. Futile shook his head. “No, Annie,” he said. “You had taken nearly all our money to the bank. At first he wouldn’t leave the stuff, but I talked him over. He’s coming back Saturday for the money.”When Annie opened the boxes, it was just as she feared. “Junk!” said Annie. “Why, you couldn’t give merchandise like this away. Poor Mr. Futile! He thought he was putting over a smart deal.”
davidf42 over 13 years ago
LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE AND SANDYBy Harold Gray, 1933CHAPTER 1One sunny morning Little Orphan Annie was all alone in Mr. Futile’s store. Suddenly the door opened and a big breezy man in a checked suit entered the store. “Hello, kid!” he said, leaning on one of the counters. “Where’s the boss?”“I’m the boss here,” answered Annie. “What can I do for you?”The stranger laughed as he looked at the little shop. “Ha! Ha!” he chuckled. “You’re the boss, eh? That’s a good one! This wouldn’t be a bad little store if it had the right stock. No money in this junk! I’ll sell your boss a line that there’s money in!”Hands on hips, Annie surveyed him shrewdly. “Oh, yeah?”What the stranger did not know was that when Mr. Futile was away (and sometimes even when he was there) Annie really was “the boss.” It was Annie’s money that Mr. Futile had invested in the store. Although Annie was only a little orphan girl whom the kind-hearted Mr. Futile had taken into his home, he was, as he said, “Real fond o’ her and proud o’ her heap o’ common sense.”As the salesman went out of the door, he threw a message back over his shoulder. “I’ll sell your boss big-town stuff. Sure-fire merchandise that the suckers will fall for. I’ll be back later.”“Suit yourself,” said Annie, but she did not trust him. Nor did she trust Mr. Futile. Sometimes his judgment was not as good as hers. So before Annie left for school, she went to their cash drawer. “I’ll just put all th’ cash in the bank on the way to school,” she said. “That’ll make it easier for Mr. Futile to say ‘no’ to that bird.”When Annie came home from school that night, Mr. Futile was puttering about in the back of the store; but everywhere, in every space, were boxes and boxes. “Great Scott!” said Annie. “What’s all that stuff?”Mr. Futile laughed. “Ha! Ha! I thought you’d be surprised, Annie. It’s new stock for the store. It was such a wonderful bargain, and I made the salesman take less than he asked, too.”Annie noticed the satisfaction in Mr. Futile’s voice. “Did you pay him for it already?” she asked.Mr. Futile shook his head. “No, Annie,” he said. “You had taken nearly all our money to the bank. At first he wouldn’t leave the stuff, but I talked him over. He’s coming back Saturday for the money.”When Annie opened the boxes, it was just as she feared. “Junk!” said Annie. “Why, you couldn’t give merchandise like this away. Poor Mr. Futile! He thought he was putting over a smart deal.”
COWBOY7 over 13 years ago
Good Morning, Annie Fans!Thank you, David
Dkram over 13 years ago
Don’t have the time now to read it, we’er going Newport to forage for food. (shopping that is)
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ironclad2001 over 13 years ago
Hey david42, keep the cards and letters comin.