Of co’se they couldn’t give Sonny the same questions thet had been give’ out, because he had heerd the answers, an’ it wouldn’t ‘a’ been fair.  So Sonny he told ’em to thess set down, an’ make out a list of questions thet they’d all agree was about of a’ equal hardness to them thet had been ast, an’ was of thess the kind of learnin’ thet all the reg’lar gradj’ates’s minds was sto’ed with, an’ thet either he knowed ’em or he didn’t—­one.

It don’t seem so excitin’, somehow, when I tell about it now; but I tell you for about a minute or so, whilst they was waitin’ to see who would undertake the job of examinin’ him, why, it seemed thet eve’y minute would be the next, ez my ol’ daddy used to say.  The only person present thet seemed to take things anyway ca’m was Miss Phoebe Kellog, Sonny’s teacher.  She has been teachin’ him reg’lar for over two years now, an’ ef she had ‘a’ had a right to give diplomies, why, Sonny would ‘a’ thess took out one from her; but she ain’t got no license to gradj’ate nobody.  But she knowed what Sonny knowed, an’ she knowed thet ef he had a fair show, he’d come thoo creditable to all hands.  She loves Sonny thess about ez much ez we do, I believe, take it all round.  Th’ ain’t never been but one time in these two years thet she has, to say, got me out o’ temper, an’ that was the day she said to me thet her sure belief was thet Sonny was goin’ to make somethin’ out’n hisself some day—­like ez ef he hadn’t already made mo’ ’n could be expected of a boy of his age.  Tell the truth, I never in my life come so near sayin’ somethin’ I’d ‘a’ been shore to regret ez I did on that occasion.  But of co’se I know she didn’t mean it.  All she meant was thet he would turn out even mo’ ’n what he was now, which would be on’y nachel, with his growth.

Everybody knows thet it was her that got him started with his collections an’ his libr’y.  Oh, yes; he’s got the best libr’y in the county, ‘cep’n’, of co’se, the doctor’s ‘n’ the preacher’s—­everybody round about here knows about that.  He’s got about a hund’ed books an’ over.  Well, sir, when he made that remark, thet any question thet he missed was to be give to the class, why, the whole atmosp’ere took on a change o’ temp’ature.  Even the teacher was for backin’ out o’ the whole business square; but he didn’t thess seem to dare to say so.  You see, after him a-favorin’ it, it would ‘a’ been a dead give-away.

Eve’ybody there had saw him step over an’ whisper to Brother Binney when it was decided to give Sonny a chance, an’ they knowed thet he had asked him to examine him.  But now, instid o’ callin’ on Brother Binney, why, he thess said, says he:  “I suppose I ought not to shirk this duty.  Ef it’s to be did,” says he, “I reckon I ought to do it—­an’ do it I will.”  You see, he daresn’t allow Brother Binney to put questions, for fear he’d call out some thet his smarty grad’jates couldn’t answer.