"Tain't dar! Land o' goodness! Den whar is it?" Maria's black eyes rolled in dismay. "Somebody's done stole it!"
"Stole it? Nonsense! Nobody would do that. Dot—ty!" and Dolly's loud call brought Dotty flying.
Mrs. Rose followed, and both stood aghast with consternation when Dolly announced, "The cake is gone!"
"Gone! What do you mean?" and Dotty looked around the shelves in a dazed sort of way.
"I mean what I say," cried Dolly impatiently. "Our cake is gone, and, as Maria says, somebody must have stolen it."
"Stolen it! Our cake!" and Dotty gave a wild shriek.
"It can't be stolen," said Mrs. Rose, looking puzzled; "we've never had anything stolen all the years we've been here."
"Then where is it?" demanded Dolly. "Where can it be?"
"Didn't you take it into the dining-room?" suggested Mrs. Rose, unable to think of any other solution of the mystery.
"No, indeed; I left it right here till we were ready to start. I had it in the open window, because the kitchen was so hot, and of course some tramp has come along and stolen it. Oh, Dotty, what shall we do?"