Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-03-13
Give EN- the
Gate
BY GENEVRA COOK
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(Copyright)

(Copyrightl
N1Iss MATTE FARR celebrated
INl her thirty eighth birthday by
purchasing shiny brass paddock FOR
the new shiny black gate. WIN
curved red lips set in the firm line
Of duty, her soft, appealing brown
eyes tense with responsibility, she
walked firmly across the reading room
of the University library, down the
dim hallway and began to mount the
stairs leading to the quiet alcove.
Her cheeks, usually as delicately PINK
and white as apple blossoms In spring.
were flushed with excitement 10
deep rose. On her smooth white fore
head appeared very determined, very
competent frown. Miss Matte Farr'
librarian, was looking at the gate.
Halfway up the stairs 1t stood, new
and black and uncompromlsing, block
ing the way to the dim, coy little M-
cove above. Down these stairs for
nearly four college generations, MISS
Matte Farr had watched couples
come, smiling into each others eyesi
had watched them touch hands with
a little catch of the breath; hau
watched them pass. unconscious OF
her disappearing gaze, seeing no'"lhs
but each other, toward the door
Silly, what they could see in an eve
ming spent In the library, sitting In
tiny alcove lined with musty books.
The first two she had watched come
down from that solitude, eighteen
years ago, had been Tom Weaver ana
Anna Merton. And last week-the
first week of college this year-when
she had heard laughing and voices,
and had mounted the stairs quickly
she had found little Annette weaver,
now a freshman, sitting on the table,
teaching new song to tall senior
with curly hair.
1t was then that Miss Matte, grim
determination in her face, had decid-
ed to put an end to the whole busi-
ness, and purchase the gate. Ana
now all that remained was to lock
II. and an end to fOolishness. And Id
even worse than foolishness. For as
Annette and her senior had come
down the stairs, the hOrritied librarian
had most certainly seen two shadows
merge a breathless moment into onel
Having snapped the paddock with.
an indignant and scandalized click
Miss Matte Farr turned to find her
self looking into the gray eyes OF
Prof. William Weaver. Understand
Ing eyes, they were, with something
quizzlcal twlnkling in them, as he said,
Good evening, Miss Farr l see
you're giving 'em the gate !"
"Weli, my only regret Is that !
didn't do it years ago. It's strange to
me what they see In It, sitting on a
table or a folding chair, surrounded
by those old bound volumes Of the
ANNALS of the American Academy Of
Arts and Sciences or the Psychology
cal Review They must be crazy!"
Miss Matte looked up at Professor
Weaver for his confirmation. His
head bent ever so gently over hers.
Tom Weaver's older brother, slim, dis
tingulshed bachelor, was looking down
at her with strange new expression
In his gray eyes. Miss Matte looked
away quickly, conscious Of slow
surge of pink rising upon her cheeks.
"I've often wondered just what's up
there, anyway" he said, after a mo-
ment. do you-could Il mean.
would you show II to me?'
With caught breath, Miss Matte
unlocked the gate, and they went up
the stairs together.
It was the same old alcOve thnt Miss
Matte had rearranged and busted and
unwlllingly chaper0ned for the past
eighteen years. Yet there was some
thing different about 1t today. There
was an intimacy about the two fold
ing chairs which faced each other
across the little table There was
something little mysterious and
thrilling about the seclusion OF 1t.
There was something breath-taking
about sitting there, talking about al
most anything or almost nothing, and
looking into the gray eyes of Prof.
william Weaver.
It was nearly an hour later that
Miss Matte remembered that she
ought to be at the desk. When she
came to close the gate, william Che
had asked her to call him William,
as she used to do In the days when
they had gone to school together, be-
fore lie went away closed II for her,
and gently snapped the lock.
At the foot Of the stairs they en-.
countered Annette Weaver and tile
senior with curly hair.
"You've put up u CATER cried the
senior with astOnishment
"HellO, Uncle Bill" said Annette.
"Why," her voice rose In quick dis
may. "The gates lOckedp
The senior looked confidently at
Miss Matte. "Oh, please, Miss Earr,
won't you give us the key?
The habit Of dlsapproyal wnvered
about Miss Mattle's lips, though her
eyes were wide with new wonder.
"Pm sorry" she began, "but--"
Just then, In the dusk OF the hall
way, she felt Williams hand brush
hers.
"Oh yes" said Miss Matte, tremu..
lousy, "Pye give you the key. I'll
-Pll give you the whole gate %
If Annette and her senior, happily
climbing toward the alcOye, had
looked backward toward the foot Of
the stairs, they would most certainly
have seen two shadows merge for a
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