Dart has some good news and some great news to share. First, the good news; the psychology class he signed up for, previously scheduled for the end of the day, has been rescheduled for the period after his political science class. Now he’ll have the whole day free after 11:20.
But the bulk of the letter is dedicated to the great news. He got the results of those aptitude tests that he took today. To give Dot a glimpse of the news they brought, he described his first conversation with the evaluator after his tests were scored. It went like this: The guy looked at Dart’s score sheet and his mouth twisted a little at the corners. Then he looked back at Dart and gave him a slow appraisal. At last, in a slow, calm manner, he said. “Jesus Christ. Tell me, Pete, how does it feel to have the world at your feet?”
It appears Dart’s aptitudes, interests and abilities are so varied and so exceptional that it’s hard to pigeon-hole him into one or two vocational areas. He scored in the 99th percentile for linguistics, and the 96 percentile in mathematical ability. When the latter score was compared to engineering students, he scored in the 92nd percentile. (When compared to Case and MIT, they fell to the 62nd percentile, indicating how much tougher those schools are than the average technical schools.) The only area where her bombed was clerical aptitude, in which he scored an appalling 6th percentile, meaning that 94% of college students and graduates would make better billing agents and secretaries than he. No wonder the poor boy couldn’t type! It just wasn’t in him.
There were many other scores ranging from the 75th to the 90th percentiles. A grade in the 75th percentile or higher means a quite accurate prediction of success. “The results and predictions of my tests and interviews were most heartwarming. In the first place, the tests show that I could be successful in almost anything but clerical work. In the second place, my aptitudes and interests seem to lie in the same pattern, said to be a good combination. My linguistic and quantitative percentiles, both being 99, show a near-maximum prediction of success in a field of study and work involving either. Also, my aptitudes and interests point to just exactly what I’ve decided I’d like to train for: the editorship of trade journals and technical publications!”
Dart is over the moon. “Those tests, the accuracy of which has been proven, have made me feel mighty good. They’ve opened my eyes to the stars. What a lift after I’d been afraid I wasn’t much good for anything. The final interviewer told him, ‘Well, boy, from now on if you don’t make good on something, it’s either due to laziness or some ‘skirt’s’ twisting your tail.’ You’re not twisting my tail, are you, Dottie?”
He adds that maybe he shouldn’t have told her because now she may expect miracles. As far as he’s concerned, the miracle happened today. Now he must go out and make something of himself to prove the accuracy of those tests!
In other news, he didn’t write last night because he was beset with a visit from a very boring acquaintance who arrived at 8:00 and wouldn’t leave until after 11:30 PM. Today he was able to spend a little time with Homer and they “took a short drive in his mile-long Packard.”
Her house on Mason Street must really smile after she’s set to it with mops, buckets and paint. It’s no wonder to him why she’s always exhausted when she falls into bed.
So, it is finally and permanently settled that they’re getting married next June. His heart also works overtime when he thinks of it. “Oh, Darling, if you only knew my thoughts when I stand and look down at you. You must know, it’s a terrible struggle for control, Honey.”
“Good night, my Darling. I love you very, very much. Oh Dot, I’m so glad for us!”
# # #
Wow! Dot’s life just got a little crazier. She got a call from Mr. Pecsok today. His wife and oldest child are visiting family in Cleveland and Mr. Pecsok took a vacation so he could hang out with his other two children. Unfortunately, he injured his back severely on the badminton court and must lie flat on his back for at least three days. He called last night to see if Dot could help with the kiddos over the next few days.
She was at their house at 7:00 this morning to fix their breakfast, help them dress and clean the kitchen. In that process, she also washed 24 diapers and managed to find a girl who came in while Dot was at work to put the kids down for their nap and prepare the family dinner. Meanwhile, they just played quietly on, or beside, their daddy’s bed until Dot got back around 8:15 to bathe them and get them to bed. I guess it all starts again tomorrow.
It’s nearly 11:00 PM and it’s the first time Dot has sat down to relax all day. After supper, she cleaned the kitchen again and ironed some clothes for the family. She’s not complaining because the children are a dream and this family has always been her ideal. Even seeing them when they’re at their worst, her exalted opinion of the Pecsoks has never wavered. Today, Mr. P. told Dot his car was at her disposal. That made shopping and banking errands much easier to accomplish. Before sitting down to write this letter, she had to place some hot towels on Mr. Pecsok’s back and smooth out his bedding so he could be more comfortable. So now she’s a nurse in addition to babysitter, cook, laundress and maid. Phew!
She got two letters from Dart today and wishes she could write the kind of response that would make him laugh off his troubles. The best she can offer is to tell him the his grades on those silly exams are meaningless as far as her feelings for him are concerned. She believes, however, that they won’t be as bad as he fears. “I know you’ve got what it takes and you’ve got what I want, so what else matters? It’s the application, not the memorization of knowledge that counts.” (Won’t she be thrilled to get the letter he wrote today?)
She reminds him that she was never able to stay on the honor roll long enough to feel at home there, but the way folks throw compliments her way, she must be a genius. Why, just today, she got a wonderful letter from Dart’s mother, who said so many kind things about her. The letter came with a towel that Helen had made for Dot. “Please tell your mom (’til I find the time to tell her myself) that I’m afraid she made it far too beautiful for me to use. I love it, and her, and you, and the world, and you, and work, and most of all, you.”