Somebody had evidently been playing a shameful trick upon them.
"It's Mabel!" "Or Bertha!" "No, no! They'd have taken the cakes quite away instead of only hiding them!" "Then it must be Winnie or Ruth!" "Quite likely.

They knew we were having the party." "The wretches!" "We'll pay them out afterwards!" "What a mean thing to do!" "They were honest, at any rate, and didn't take so much as a biscuit." "They'd have heard about it if they had!" "'All's well that ends well!'" "And we'd better clear the dishes while we can.

Have another piece of iced sandwich, Mary!" "No, thanks! I really don't want any more." The Camellia Buds, having disposed of the feast, and having yet half an hour of the birthday party left on their hands, decided to hold what they called a "Mixed Recitation Stunt." They sat in a circle on the floor and counted out till the lot fell upon one of them, whose pleasing duty it became to act entertainer for the next five minutes, when she was entitled to hand the part on to somebody else.

Fate, aided perhaps by a little gentle maneuvering, gave the first turn to Jess.
"I adore poetry, but I never can remember it by heart," she protested, "so don't expect me to 'speak a piece,' please.

No, I'm not trying to get out of it.