Spring Lock

I stepped onto the lower cedar rung of the drying rack on the back patio. A spring-loaded wooden clothespin rested unfastened across the taut cotton line. Planting my boots firmly along the grain, I leaned forward and applied steady downward pressure to the lever using the heel of my right gloved hand. The coiled steel spring resisted before compressing cleanly, parting the grooved jaws above the cord. I nudged a strip of folded canvas into the gap and released the tension. The timber snapped shut with a hollow click, securing the hem in place.