, and they had all
eaten their fill when they heard the click of the front gate.

[Illustration]

They did not take time to climb from the shelves, but all rolled or
jumped off to the floor and scrambled back to their room as fast as
they could run, leaving a trail of bread crumbs and jam along the way.

Just as their mistress came into the room the dolls dropped in whatever
positions they happened to be in.

"This is funny!" cried Mistress. "They were all left sitting in their
places around the room! I wonder if Fido has been shaking them up!" Then
she saw Raggedy Ann's face and picked her up. "Why Raggedy Ann, you are
all sticky! I do believe you are covered with jam!" and Mistress tasted
Raggedy Ann's hand. "Yes! It's JAM! Shame on you, Raggedy Ann! You've
been in the pantry and all the others, too!" and with this the dolls'
mistress dropped Raggedy Ann on the floor and left the room.

When she came back she had on an apron and her sleeves were rolled up.

She picked up all the sticky dolls and putting them in a basket she
carried them out under the apple tree in the garden.

There she had placed her little tub and wringer and she took the dolls
one at a time, and scrubbed them with a scrubbing brush and soused them
up and down and this way and that in the soap suds until they were
clean.

Then she hung them all out on the clothes-line in the sunshine to dry.

There the dolls hung all day, swinging and twisting about as the breeze
swayed the clothes-line.

"I do believe she scrubbed my face so hard she wore off my smile!" said
Raggedy Ann, after an hour of silence.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

"No, it is still there!" said the tin solder, as the wind twisted him
around so he could see Raggedy. "But I do believe my arms will never
work without squeaking, they feel so rusted," he added.

Just then the wind twisted the little Dutch doll and loosened his
clothes-pin, so that he fell to the grass below with a sawdusty bump and
as he rolled over he said, "Mamma!" in a squeaky voice.

Late in the afternoon the back door opened and the little mistress came
out with a table and chairs. After setting the table she took all the
dolls from the line and placed them about the table.

They had lemonade with grape jelly in it, which made it a beautiful
lavender color, and little "Baby-teeny-weeny-cookies" with powdered
sugar on them.

After this lovely dinner, the dollies were taken in the house, where
they