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Laura snatched her up and hid her under the shawl She ran panting against the angry wind and the sleet, all the way hohtened, when she saw Laura

“What is it! What is it? Tell me!” Ma said

“Mr Nelson didn’t go to town,” Laura answered “But, oh, Ma—look”

“What on earth?” said Ma

“It’s Charlotte,” Laura said “I—I stole her I don’t care, Ma, I don’t care if I did!”

“There, there, don’t be so excited,” said Ma “Come here and tell me all about it,” and she drew Laura down on her lap in the rocking chair

They decided that it had not been wrong for Laura to take back Charlotte It had been a terrible experience for Charlotte, but Laura had rescued her and Ma proood as new

Ma ripped off the torn hair and the bits of hereye and her face They thawed Charlotte and wrung her out, and Ma washed her thoroughly clean and starched and ironed her while Laura chose fro a new, pale pink face for her and new button eyes

That night when Laura went to bed she laid Charlotte in her box Charlotte was clean and crisp, her red olden-brown yarn hair braided in tee braids and tied with blue yarn bows

Laura went to sleep cuddled against Mary under the patchwork co and sleety rain beat on the roof It was so cold that Laura and Mary pulled the comforters over their heads

A terrific crash woke them They were scared in the dark under the comforters Then they heard a loud voice downstairs It said: “I declare! I dropped that armful of wood, didn’t I?”

Ma was laughing, “You did that on purpose, Charles, to wake up the girls”

Laura flew screa down the ladder She jumped into Pa’s ar, ju up and down!

Pa’s blue eyes twinkled His hair stood straight up He earing nehole boots He had walked two hundred miles froht, in the storm Noas here!

“For shaowns!” said Ma “Go dress yourselves Breakfast is almost ready”