CSS
span {
border: 1px black solid;
margin:.5em;
padding:0.125em 0 0 .25em;
letter-spacing:.65em;
font-family:"Courier New", Courier, monospace;
font-size: 1em;
background: -moz-linear-gradient(left, rgba(252,252,252,0) 0%, rgba(255,255,255,0) 95%, rgba(0,0,0,1) 96%, rgba(0,0,0,1) 100%);
background: -webkit-gradient(left top, right top, color-stop(0%, rgba(252,252,252,0)), color-stop(95%, rgba(255,255,255,1)), color-stop(96%, rgba(0,0,0,1)), color-stop(100%, rgba(0,0,0,1)));
background: -webkit-linear-gradient(left, rgba(252,252,252,0) 0%, rgba(255,255,255,0) 95%, rgba(0,0,01) 96%, rgba(0,0,0,1) 100%);
background: -o-linear-gradient(left, rgba(252,252,252,0) 0%, rgba(255,255,255,0) 95%, rgba(0,0,0,1) 96%, rgba(0,0,0,1) 100%);
background: -ms-linear-gradient(left, rgba(252,252,252,0) 0%, rgba(255,255,255,0) 95%, rgba(0,0,0,1) 96%, rgba(0,0,0,1) 100%);
background: linear-gradient(to right, rgba(252,252,252,0) 0%, rgba(255,255,255,0) 95%, rgba(0,0,0,1) 96%, rgba(0,0,0,1) 100%);
filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient( startColorstr='#fcfcfc', endColorstr='#000000', GradientType=1 );
background-size:1.25em 1em;
background-repeat:repeat;
}
span:after {
content:' ';
border: 1px white solid;
position:absolute;
background:white;
width:.2em;
height:1.25em;
margin:-.125em -.25em;
}