ot have caused him any worry, for in between where his feet
came over his face Daddy saw his cheery smile.

After slipping off the rubber band, Daddy smoothed out the wrinkles in
Raggedy Andy's arms and legs.

Then Daddy propped Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy up against books on his
desk, so that they sat facing each other; Raggedy Ann's shoe button eyes
looking straight into the shoe button eyes of Raggedy Andy.

They could not speak--not right out before a real person--so they just
sat there and smiled at each other.

Daddy could not help reaching out his hands and feeling their throats.

Yes! There was a lump in Raggedy Ann's throat, and there was a lump in
Raggedy Andy's throat. A cotton lump, to be sure, but a lump
nevertheless.

"So, Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy, that is why you cannot talk, is it?"
said Daddy.

"I will go away and let you have your visit to yourselves, although it
is good to sit and share your happiness by watching you."

Daddy then took the rubber band and placed it around Raggedy Ann's right
hand, and around Raggedy Andy's right hand, so that when he had it fixed
properly they sat and held each other's hands.

Daddy knew they would wish to tell each other all the wonderful things
that had happened to them since they had parted more than fifty years
before.

So, locking his studio door, Daddy left the two old rag dolls looking
into each other's eyes.

The next morning, when Daddy unlocked his door and looked at his desk,
he saw that Raggedy Andy had fallen over so that he lay with his head in
the bend of Raggedy Ann's arm.

[Illustration: Then Daddy propped Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy up]

[Illustration: Side by side]

[Illustration: Dolls in a row]

THE NURSERY DANCE

When Raggedy Andy was first brought to the nursery he was very quiet.

Raggedy Andy did not speak all day, but he smiled pleasantly to all the
other dolls. There was Raggedy Ann, the French doll, Henny, the little
Dutch doll, Uncle Clem, and a few others.

Some of the dolls were without arms and legs.

One had a cracked head. She was a nice doll, though, and the others all
liked her very much.

All of them had cried the night Susan (that was her name) fell off the
toy box and cracked her china head.

Raggedy Andy did not speak all day.

But there was really nothing strange about this fact, after all.

None of the other dolls spoke all day, either.

Marcella had played in the nursery all day an