The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1931-03-13
Give 'Em the
Gate
By GENEvRA COOK
(Copyright.l

MISS MATTE FARR celebrated
lVE her thirty-eighth birthday by
purchasing a shiny brass paddock for
the new shiny black gate. With
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 land 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 to a
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 uncompromising block
ing the way to the dim, cozy little al
cove above. Down these stairs for
nearly four college generations, Miss
Matte Farr had watched couples
come, smiling into each others eyes:
had watched them touch hands with
little catch of the breath; had
watched them pass, unconscious Of
her disappearing gaze, seeing nothing
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 and
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 freshman, sitting on the table,
teaching a new song to a 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. And
now all that remained was to lock
it, and an end to foolishness. And to
even worse than foolishness. For as
Annette and her senior had come
down the stairs, the Mortified librarian
had most certainly seen two shadows
merge breathless moment into one!
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
quizzical twinkling in them, as he said,
"Good evening, Miss Farr. / see
you're giving 'em the gate'!"
well, my only regret is that l
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 Psych0logi-
cal Review They must be crazyr
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
tinguished bachelor, was looking down
at her with strange new expression
in his gray eyes. Miss Matte looked
away quickly, conscious of a slow
surge of pink rising upon her cheeks.
1--WE often wondered just what's up
there, anyway" he said, after mo-
ment. do you-could II mean,
would you show it to me?"
With caught breath, Miss Matte
unlocked the gate, and they went up
the stairs together.
1t was the same old alcove that Miss
Matte had rearranged and busted and
unwillingly chaperoned for the past
eighteen years. Yet there was some
thing different about it today. There
was an intimacy about the two fold
ing chairs which faced each other
across the little table. There was
something a little mysterious and
thrilling about the seclusion of it.
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.
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 he went away closed it for her,
and gently snapped the lock.
At the foot of the stairs they en-
countered Annette Weaver and the
senior with curly hair.
you've put up gate!" cried the
senior with astonishment.
"Hello, Uncle Bill" said Annette.
"Why," her voice rose in quick dis
may. 1.-THE gates lockedt"
The senior looked confidently at
Miss Matte. "Oh, please, Miss Farr,
won't you give us the key?"
The habit of disapproval wavered
about Miss Mattie's lips, though her
eyes were wide with new wonder.
'Tm 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.
lously. 1--WE give you the key. I'll
I'll 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
breathless moment into one.