he
would be prancing in here every half-hour to find out when it would be
finished. They would expect it to be made, wound up, and ticking, inside
a week. It was not so in the days of Queen Anne." The Scotchman sighed,
then added, "Sometimes I envy them their leisure."

Once more he turned the clock round so Christopher could see its
old-fashioned face gay with dainty vines and flowers.

"I declare if it isn't almost twelve o'clock," ejaculated he. "It's only
three minutes behind schedule to-day. Still we must get it down finer
than that. Besides, I'd rather it gained than lost time; losing is a
grievous fault. Now what selection shall we play? Choose quickly for
there isn't much leeway--"

"I'll have the dance."

"On with the dance!" McPhearson exclaimed gayly.

Opening the door at the front he moved the single hand until it pointed
to the air desired. And he was none too soon, for an instant later the
clock struck the hour and then, after a short pause, Christopher heard
the tinkle of bells, thin, clear, and sweet, beginning to play a quaint
snatch of melody. It was not at all the sort of dance music the boy had
expected. Instead it was a merry little tune so gay one could not but be
glad that noontide had come and that the sun rode high in the heavens.

"Jove, but that's jolly!" cried Christopher with delight. "I wish it
would play right over again. If I had a clock like that I should run to
listen to it every time it struck."

"That is what our men here did at first," laughed McPhearson. "They all
threw down their tools and rushed here like a pack of children."

"Couldn't anybody buy one of these clocks?"

"I'm afraid were you to try to, you would find it would cost a small
fortune," answered the Scotchman. "Once you could have secured such an
article at a very modest price; but values increase with time, and
to-day the work of Richard Parsons and those like him is at a premium.
Moreover, old bracket clocks are not often for sale. Those who own them
are aware of their value and will not part with them."

"Then I guess all I can do is to listen to this one," sighed
Christopher.

"That is all I can do myself," McPhearson declared, with a wan smile. "I
should consider I had a fortune could I own a treasure like this. But
at least if I cannot own it, I can have the fun of keeping it running
and there is some satisfaction in that."

"I should think there'd be a lot!" cried Christopher.

CHAPTER III