scarcely dared to
think.

He went to _his father. "I am grown," he announced determinedly. "I
want to put on long trousers."

His father hesitated. "Well," he said finally, "I don't know. Fourteen
is the age for putting on long trousers--and you are only twelve."

"But you'll have to admit," protested Benjamin, "that I'm big for my
age."

His father looked at him with illusory speculation. "Oh, I'm not so
sure of that," he said. "I was as big as you when I was twelve."

T_his was not true-it was all part of Roger Button's silent agreement
with himself to believe in _his son's normality.

Finally a compromise was reached. Benjamin was to continue to dye _his
hair. He was to make a better attempt to play with boys of _his own
age. He was not to wear _his spectacles or carry a cane in the street.
In return for these concessions he was allowed _his first suit of long
trousers....

4

Of the life of Benjamin Button between _his twelfth and twenty-first
year I intend to say little. Suffice to record that they were years of
normal ungrowth. When Benjamin was eighteen he was erect as a man of
fifty; he had more hair and it was of a dark gray; _his step was firm,
_his voice had lost its cracked quaver and descended to a healthy
baritone. So _his father sent him up to Connecticut to take
examinations for entrance to Yale College. Benjamin passed _his
examination and became a member of the freshman class.

On the third day following _his matriculation he received a
notification from Mr. Hart, the college registrar, to call at _his
office and arrange _his schedule. Benjamin, glancing in the mirror,
decided that _his hair needed a new application of its brown dye, but
an anxious inspection of _his bureau drawer disclosed that the dye
bottle was not there. Then he remembered--he had emptied it the day
before and thrown it away.

He was in a dilemma. He was due at the registrar's in five minutes.
There seemed to be no help for it--he must go as he was. He did.

"Good-morning," said the registrar politely. "You've come to inquire
about your son."

"Why, as a matter of fact, my name's Button----" began Benjamin, but
Mr. Hart cut him off.

"I'm very glad to meet you, Mr. Button. I'm expecting your son here
any minute."

"That's me!" burst out Benjamin. "I'm a freshman."

"What!"

"I'm a freshman."

"Surely you're joking."

"Not at all."

The registrar frowned and glanced at a card before him. "Why, I have
Mr. Benjamin Button's age down here as eighteen."

"That's my age," asserted Benjamin, flushing slightly.

The registrar eyed him wearily. "Now surely, Mr. Button, you don't
expect me to believe that."

Benjamin smiled wearily. "I am eighteen," he repeated.

The registrar pointed sternly