Read Online The Kingdom of Dog by Neil S. Plakcy - Free Book Online Page B

that means Joe was in the admissions office just over twenty-five years.”
    â€œI’m twenty-five. That means he started working here the year I was born.”
    â€œAnd he was making trouble even back then,” I said. “Look at all this stuff.”
    In 1985 they were still using carbon paper at Eastern, and a lot of the letters in the files were on flimsy paper, letters smudged, still smelling faintly of musty ink. Joe had saved copies of rejection letters that had received negative responses, and it was sad to see how many people hadn’t had the opportunity I had to get an Eastern education.
    â€œIt makes you wonder what happened to all these people,” Sally said. “Did they go on to college somewhere else? Are they happy?”
    â€œHope so. It must be a big responsibility, deciding who gets into Eastern and who doesn’t. You can make or break someone’s whole life.”
    â€œIt’s not quite that dramatic. Admissions is a very subjective process. Someone who doesn’t get in to Eastern might still get into another very good college. And even if they don’t, there’s always Penn State. I know a lot of people who got great educations there.”
    We worked through the files, pulling out any letters that seemed threatening. As we the pile grew, I turned to the computer and started doing some research, beginning with a couple of the business networking sites. I put aside anyone I could find online, who looked like they had a degree from somewhere else and a successful career.
    It took us a couple of hours, and my back was sore and creaky by the time we finished. Most of the files we still had open were from more recent years, as you’d expect. Those applicants were harder to track down, and it was likely their grudges were freshest.
    We ended up with close to two dozen names. The most troubling was a guy who had applied to my own class, named Thomas Taylor. His application, transcripts and recommendations were bundled into a large manila folder.
    Taylor’s record at Allentown Regional High School was a little above average, his test scores were acceptable, and his recommendations lukewarm. There was nothing on the surface to indicate either acceptance or rejection; he was one of those borderline candidates whose decision rests on unquantifiables like extra-curricular activities or a personal interview.
    A short note in Joe’s handwriting, on a half-sheet of Eastern letterhead, brought it all together. It was headed “Taylor, Thomas” and read: “Very enthusiastic about Eastern, though seemed somewhat unbalanced. Potentially unstable. Check further with references.”
    There was no mention of what further checking might have brought other than the red stamp “Reject” in the upper right-hand corner of the envelope. The letters began in late May of 1985 and continued periodically through 1990. Apparently Thomas Taylor had applied only to Eastern, and when rejected, had entered the Army. Several of the letters remained in their original envelopes, and showed a military return address.
    The letters blamed everything that had happened to Taylor after his rejection from Eastern on Joe. He had been beaten down in boot camp, made fun of by his fellow soldiers, had numerous run-ins with authorities, and eventually was dishonorably discharged.
    â€œWhew,” I said, looking up from the letter describing his discharge. “That’s a powerful motive.”
    â€œWait, Steve, there’s more,” Sally said. “No letters from 1990 to 2000, but then they start again, sporadically, one every couple of years. The last one came in just last month.”
    â€œWhere’s that one postmarked from?”
    â€œSoutheastern Pennsylvania. Isn’t it helpful that the post office switched to that system. It could be from anywhere in four counties. No return address, of course.”
    â€œOf course. ” I stared out the window