Her yarn hair was twisted and lay partly over her face, hiding one of her shoe-button eyes.

Raggedy gave no sign that she had heard, but lay there smiling at the ceiling.

Perhaps Raggedy Ann knew that what the new dolls said was true.

But sometimes the truth may hurt and this may have been the reason Raggedy Ann lay there so still.

“Did you ever see such an ungainly creature!”

“I do believe it has shoe buttons for eyes!”

“And yarn hair!”

“Mercy, did you ever see such feet!”

The Dutch doll rolled off the doll sofa and said “Mamma” in his quavery voice, he was so surprised at hearing anyone speak so of beloved Raggedy Ann—­dear Raggedy Ann, she of the candy heart, whom all the dolls loved.

Uncle Clem was also very much surprised and offended.  He walked up in front of the two new dolls and looked them sternly in the eyes, but he could think of nothing to say so he pulled at his yarn mustache.

Marcella had only received the two new dolls that morning.  They had come in the morning mail and were presents from an aunt.

Marcella had named the two new dolls Annabel-Lee and Thomas, after her aunt and uncle.

Annabel-Lee and Thomas were beautiful dolls and must have cost heaps and heaps of shiny pennies, for both were handsomely dressed and had real hair!

Annabel’s hair was of a lovely shade of auburn and Thomas’ was golden yellow.

Annabel was dressed in soft, lace-covered silk and upon her head she wore a beautiful hat with long silk ribbons tied in a neat bow-knot beneath her dimpled chin.

Thomas was dressed in an Oliver Twist suit of dark velvet with a lace collar.  Both he and Annabel wore lovely black slippers and short stockings.

They were sitting upon two of the little red doll chairs where Marcella had placed them and where they could see the other dolls.

When Uncle Clem walked in front of them and pulled his mustache they laughed outright.  “Tee-Hee-Hee!” they snickered, “He has holes in his knees!”

Quite true.  Uncle Clem was made of worsted and the moths had eaten his knees and part of his kiltie.  He had a kiltie, you see, for Uncle Clem was a Scotch doll.

Uncle Clem shook, but he felt so hurt he could think of nothing to say.

He walked over and sat down beside Raggedy Ann and brushed her yarn hair away from her shoe-button eye.

The tin soldier went over and sat beside them.

“Don’t you mind what they say, Raggedy!” he said, “They do not know you as we do!”

“We don’t care to know her!” said Annabel-Lee as she primped her dress, “She looks like a scarecrow!”

“And the Soldier must have been made with a can opener!” laughed Thomas.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

“You should be ashamed of yourselves!” said the French dolly, as she stood before Annabel and Thomas, “You will make all of us sorry that you have joined our family if you continue to poke fun at us and look down upon us.  We are all happy here together and share in each others’ adventures and happiness.”