Well, sir, it was thess like I’m a-tellin’ you.  He set still ez long ez he could, an’ then he riz an’ spoke.  Says he, “I have decided thet I’d like to do a little gradj’atin’ this evenin’ myself,” thess that a-way.

An’ when he spoke them words, for about a minute you could ‘a’ heerd a pin drop; an’ then eve’ybody begin a-screechin’ with laughter.  A person would think thet they’d ‘a’ had some consideration for a child standin’ up in the midst o’ sech a getherin’, tryin’ to take his own part; but they didn’t.  They thess laughed immod’rate.  But they didn’t faze him.  He had took his station on the flo’, an’ he helt his ground.

Thess ez soon ez he could git a heerin’, why, he says, says he:  “I don’t want anybody to think thet I’m a-tryin’ to take any advantage.  I don’t expec’ to gradj’ate without passin’ my examination.  An’, mo’ ’n that,” says he, “I am ready to pass it now.”  An’ then he went on to explain thet he would like to have anybody present thet was competent to do it to step forward an’ examine him—­then an’ there.  An’ he said thet ef he was examined fair and square, to the satisfaction of eve’ybody—­an’ didn’t pass—­why, he ‘d give up the p’int.  An’ he wanted to be examined oral—­in eve’ybody’s hearin’—­free-handed an’ outspoke.

[Illustration:  “Any question he missed was to be passed on to them thet had been grad’jatin’ so fast.”]

Well, sir, seem like folks begin to see a little fun ahead in lettin’ him try it—­which I don’t see thess how they could ‘a’ hindered him, an’ it a free school, an’ me a taxpayer.  But they all seemed to be in a pretty good humor by this time, an’ when Sonny put it to vote, why, they voted unanymous to let him try it.  An’ all o’ them unanymous votes wasn’t, to say, friendly, neither.  Heap o’ them thet was loudest in their unanimosity was hopefully expectin’ to see him whipped out at the first question.  Tell the truth, I mo’ ’n half feared to see it myself.  I was that skeert I was fairly all of a trimble.

Well, when they had done votin’, Sonny, after first thankin’ ’em,—­which I think was a mighty polite thing to do, an’ they full o’ the giggles at his little expense that minute,—­why, he went on to say thet he requie’d ‘em to make thess one condition, an’ that was thet any question he missed was to be passed on to them thet had been a-gradj’atin’ so fast, an’ ef they missed it, it wasn’t to be counted ag’inst him.

Well, when he come out with that, which, to my mind, couldn’t be beat for fairness, why, some o’ the mothers they commenced to look purty serious, an’ seem like ez ef they didn’t find it quite so funny ez it had been.  You see, they say thet them boys had eve’y one had reg’lar questions give’ out to ’em, an’ eve’y last one had studied his own word; an’ ef they was to be questioned hit an’ miss, why they wouldn’t ‘a’ stood no chance on earth.