Securing the Mat

I marched back across the slate tiles into the room, leaving the corridor behind. My wool mat was still resting by the shelf post, but one corner had curled upward from the floorboards. Beside the baseboard, I located a clean wooden clothespin. I picked it up and pressed both thumbs firmly against the split ends. The metal coil resisted with good tension, opening the front jaws wide. I aligned the teeth over the rolled hem of the wool and released my grip. It clamped down with a clean, sharp snap, holding the fabric flush against the floor. The shelter is secured for the night.