“My Sawdust Doll,� answered Dorothy, and tears began to gather in her eyes. “I left her here asleep on a pile of rags while I went to Mirabell’s house. Now she’s gone! My Sawdust Doll is gone! Oh, maybe Carlo carried her off again!�
“If he did we shall soon find her,� answered Mother. “I’ll help you look.�
But Carlo was not around, and, a little later, when Dick came in, he said the dog had been down the street, playing with him.
“Carlo didn’t take your doll, I know that,� said Dick.
“But who did?� asked Dorothy. “I left her right near the little rag-bag, after I got some pieces from it to make her a gingham dress.�
It did not take long to find out what had happened. When Martha, the maid, heard Dorothy asking about the small rag-bag and the pile of goods that had been on the playroom floor, the maid exclaimed:
“Oh, I picked them up! I picked up the rags, put them in the little rag-bag, and emptied them into the big bag in the cellar. I must have picked up the Sawdust Doll, too, though I didn’t notice her.�
“Well, she must be down in the cellar bag, then,� said Mother. “Don’t worry, Dorothy. We’ll soon have your doll back.�
But when Dorothy, Mother, and Martha went to the cellar they saw the big bag limp and empty, hanging on a nail.
“Oh, Patrick must have sold the rags!� said Martha.