Jed was droning "Old Hundred" with improvisations of his own, the said improvising having the effect of slowing down the already extremely deliberate anthem until the result compared to the original was for speed, as an oyster scow compared to an electric launch.

This musical crawl he used as an accompaniment to the sorting and piling of various parts of an order just received from a Southern resort.

Barbara was helping him, at least she called her activities "helping." When Jed had finished counting a pile of vanes or mill parts she counted them to make sure.

Usually her count and his did not agree, so both counted again, getting in each other's way and, as Mr.Winslow expressed it, having a good time generally.

And this remark, intended to be facetious, was after all pretty close to the literal truth.