Sam touched Penrod's sleeve in warning and bent to listen at a door.
Immediately that door opened, revealing the bright library, where sat Penrod's mother and Sam's father.
It was Sam's mother who had opened the door.

"Come into the library, boys," she said.

"Mrs.Schofield is just telling us about it." And as the two comrades moved dumbly into the lighted room, Penrod's mother rose, and, taking him by the shoulder, urged him close to the fire.
"You stand there and try to dry off a little, while I finish telling Mr.
and Mrs.Williams about you and Sam," she said.

"You'd better make Sam keep near the fire, too, Mrs.Williams, because they both got wringing wet.

Think of their running off just when most people would have wanted to stay! Well, I'll go on with the story, then.