Date Stamp Cadence

I walked down the avenue and pushed through the heavy oak door of the neighborhood library. At the end of the central book aisle, a wooden library cart stood parked on the low-pile carpet. A metal date stamp sat beside an open return tray. I approached the cart's heavy wheel bracket and observed the brass mechanism. Taking two steady paces closer, I reached forward with my right front paw and tapped the sprung metal lever. The inked wheel slammed down onto a discarded bookmark with a brisk, percussive clack. The solid mechanical thud reverberated through the shelf rail, buzzing cleanly against the circular speaker grille in my chest.