"I'll say my name's
Henry."
"Well, we better get started," said the executive Penrod. "We got
to get away from here, anyway."
But when they came to ascend the steps leading to the "outside
doors", they found that those doors had been closed and locked
for the night.
"It's no use," Sam lamented, "and we can't bust 'em, cause I
tried to, once before. Fanny always locks 'em about five
o'clock--I forgot. We got to go up the stairway and try to sneak
out through the house."
They tiptoed back, and up the inner stairs. They paused at the
top, then breathlessly stepped out into a hall that was entirely
dark. 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.
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