"You can slit the envelopes," he said, still hesitating. "That would save some time."
Alec had to turn sharp about to hide the smile that he couldn't prevent. Then he whipped out his knife, and in a minute every letter was cut and ready to open. Alec even pulled each letter part way out of its envelope, to facilitate handling.
"Now let me copy that list, while you look over your mail," urged Alec.
"I don't know," said the shipper. "Let me see your handwriting."
Alec wrote the shipper's name and address. His penmanship was a great deal better than the shipper's cramped and hurried chirography.
"Well, you be careful—very careful," said the shipper, reluctantly surrendering his pen to Alec.
Alec's task was purely mechanical. He copied the list faster and more legibly than the captain had done. When he completed it, the captain was addressing shipping tags. "Let me do that, while you do something more important," urged Alec.
"Be careful. Be very careful," warned the shipper.
When the tags were finished, and Captain Rumford found that not a single mistake had been made, he gave Alec another task. So the two worked busily all the morning long. Before either was aware of it, noon had arrived.