One day Daddy took Raggedy Ann down to his office and propped her up
against some books upon his desk; he wanted to have her where he could
see her cheery smile all day, for, as you must surely know, smiles and
happiness are truly catching.
Daddy wished to catch a whole lot of Raggedy Ann's cheeriness and
happiness and put all this down on paper, so that those who did not have
Raggedy Ann dolls might see just how happy and smiling a rag doll can
be.
So Raggedy Ann stayed at Daddy's studio for three or four days.
She was missed very, very much at home and Marcella really longed for
her, but knew that Daddy was borrowing some of Raggedy Ann's sunshine,
so she did not complain.
Raggedy Ann did not complain either, for in addition to the sunny, happy
smile she always wore (it was painted on), Raggedy Ann had a candy
heart, and of course no one (not even a rag doll) ever complains if they
have such happiness about them.
One evening, just as Daddy was finishing his day's work, a messenger boy
came with a package; a nice, soft lumpy package.
Daddy opened the nice, soft lumpy package and found a letter.
Gran'ma had told Daddy, long before this, that at the time Raggedy Ann
was made, a neighbor lady had made a boy doll, Raggedy Andy, for her
little girl, who always played with Gran'ma.
And when Gran'ma told Daddy this she wondered whatever had become of her
little playmate and the boy doll, Raggedy Andy.
After reading the letter, Daddy opened the other package which had been
inside the nice, soft, lumpy package and found--Raggedy Andy.
Raggedy Andy had been carefully folded up.
His soft, loppy arms were folded up in front of him and his soft, loppy
legs were folded over his soft, loppy arms, and they were held this way
by a rubber band.
Raggedy Andy must have wondered why he was being "done up" this way, but
it could not 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]