Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-05-04
.', THAT GATE.


with all these seven lovely daughters
only one front gate, and that is what
makes him pale. Last summer he
spent $2l7 repairing that front gate,
putting in new ones, and experiment.
ing with various kinds of hinges, and
after all that the gate swung all
through the winter on a leather strap
and piece of clothes-line, and there
was peace in the household, and the
man grew fat. But when the April
days were nigh, it soon became appar-
ent to- the man that his troubles were
at hand, and anxiety soon drove the
roses from his damask cheeks and
robbed his ribs of their substance. He
used to climb over the back fence to
avoid calling attention to the disreput-
able looking old gate, but his self.de-
NAL was Of no avail. One evening his
eldest daughter, Sophronia. said:
Spa, that horrid gate is the most
disgusting thing OH this street. If
you can't afford to have it fixed, Id
take it away and put up a STYLE"
And pa only groaned. But an even.
ing or so later, his youngest daughter
came in and said with considerable
warmth:
spa! l wish you had that beastly
old gate tied to your neck. that's what
l wish y
And she dissolved in tears and evap.
grated up stairs in misty cloud,
while her sisters followed slowly, cast
ing reproachful looks at pa. And the
next evening his third daughter, Aze-
lia.. came bouncing into the room
about 0:30 P. NJ, with her gloves in a
condition to indicate that she had been
patting gravel, and said. with some en-
ergy, that if pa had no feeling other
people had, and she wished she was
dead she did, and she hoped that the
next time that pa went out of that
hateful old gate he'd fall from Arch
street to the bridge, so she did. And
she broke down aud disappeared with
4 staocato accompaniment of sObs and
sniftles. And the next time thattpa
went out of that gate, he found it
PROSTATE between tho two posts, and
saw that the fragile strands Of the
clothes-line had parted, under some
extraordinary pressure, and that was
what allied Azelea's gloves.
Pa saw there was nothing for it but
a new gate, and lie groaned aloud as
he viewed the dreary prospect of fur
nishing gates to support the manly
forms OF the best young men of Bur
lington for another summer. lie pom
dered and pondered, and pondered.
He became the confidant of carpenters;
he was often seen guiltlly showing
certain plans and drawings to black
smiths and cunning workers in iron
and steel. And in due time he had a
new gate up, Il massive gate, with
great posts, ornamented and substan.
tial, land the seven sisters were pleased.
They read in the little brass plate that
informed them that 4 patent was ap-
piled for, the words ':for 100 pounds, -
but they didn't know what it meant
until last evening.
Last evening the weather. though
sufficiently cool to be bracing, admit
ted q test of the new gate. \ muir.
muir of voices arose from the vicinity
of that popular lover retreat rs So ph.
ronia, swung idly to and fro on it's heavy
frame. Presently, 4 pale faced man.
who held his hand upon his breast to
still his beating heart, as he crouched
in q dark corner Of the porch heard
Rudolphus say;
''But believe me, Sophronia, my owl,
hearts idol. between the touches of
the rude hand of IT,
AS he began the word he leaned for.
ward and bent his weight on the gate,
and with a sharp click q little trap
door in one side Of the post flew open,
and a gaunt. many:jointed arm of steel,
with an iron knob as big as a
Virginia gourd on the end of it. few
out, and, with the rapidity Of light.
ming, hit Rodolphus two resounding
pelts between the shoulders that sound
ed like base drum explosion.
"Oh-h-h gosh - he roared. ':I'm
stabbed I'm stabbed!' and, without
waiting to pick up his hat fled, shrek.
ing, for the doctor, while Sophrona
rushed into the house crying, spa
pa! pa! Rodolphus is shot, and
swooned. The pale=faced man said
nothing, but shrunk still further back
into the shadow, and thrust his hand.
kerchief into his mouth to stifie a
smile. Pretty soon he knew the voice
of his daughter Azalea at the gate, say.
ing goodnight, But a rich, manly
voice detained her, and the measured
swing of the gate was again heard IN
the distance, Soon lie heard Lorenzo
say, as he made ready to climb upon
the gate:
''But whatever Of sorrow may await
our future, dear one, l would it nigh,
fall upon me-
And just as he lifted his last foot from
the ground, the trap opened and the
gaunt arm reached out and fell upon
him with that big knob four times, and
every time it reached him, Lorenzo
shrieked:
"Bleeding heart! Oh, mercy, mercy
Mr.. Man Oh murder T.
And rs he ambled away in the star
light, wailing for arnica, Azalea fled
wildly to her home shrieking, Oh pa
| pa, pa! Somebody is numbering Lo
renzo." And on the porch pale
faced man thrust the rim of his hat
into his mouth to reinforce his hand
kerchief, and Rugged himself in placid
content, Pretty soon the mans fifth
daughter came home from a party
and she, too, perohed on the gait. And
| AA+ - AAOAAS>Ao VI WV <1ApAAO1ISO SttlUs
''But my own Miriam, would | could
tell you what I feel
But he didn't, for just rs he leaned
upon the gate the gaunt arm reached
out and felt him with about IS pound.
of iron, and knocked his breath 50 fal
out of him that he couldn't shrek
until he had run half a mile from the
house. And Miriam ran into the
house screaming that Lorenzo had !:
fit. And the pale.faced man rose ur
out of the shadow and emptied his
mouth, and as he stood under the
quiet starlight, looking at the gate
whose powerful but delicate mech
anis1n repealed an ounce of weight
over 100 pounds, q look of ineffable
peace stole over the pale face, and the
smile that rested on the quiet features
told that the struggle of a lifetime
was ended in victory, and gate has
been discovered that could set al
naught the expressions of toughtless
young people. 49,.
| A..