"You will first go to Scotland," explained Mr. Burton, "and there McPhearson is to visit his old home and the friends he wishes to hunt up. He is not to hurry about it, either. Then, while you are there, he is to take you for a trip through the Scotch Lakes that you may see the beauty of the land that turns out such splendid men as he. After that you will travel down through England, seeing all you can as you go and searching out the old clocks and the famous collections of them that he has told you about. Then across the Channel in an airship (you will like that, Christopher) and on to France, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. How does the proposition strike you, son?" "We'll see the bears of Berne, Mr. McPhearson," cried Christopher excitedly. "And the Straasburg clock, too! And that wonderful clock in Venice. Think of it!" "I am scarcely able to think of it," gasped the little Scotchman. "You would like to go?" inquired Mr. Burton gently. "Oh, sir, it has been my dream for years. I have thought and thought of sometime making such a journey. But it never has been possible. The expense--" "It is going to be possible now," cut in Mr. Burton, smiling. "That is, if you are willing to take Christopher along." "Nothing would please me better," ejaculated the watchmaker. "He is a fine lad. This year I have come to--" "We know you have, Mr. McPhearson," asserted Mrs. Burton softly. "Your kindness to our boy has proved that. That is why we are going to trust him to you. He is the most precious thing we have in the world. We should not let everybody borrow him." With that the group broke up. Mr. Norcross hurried into his office; Mrs. Burton opened her bag and once more began to fumble with her foolish gauzy samples; and Mr. Burton took up from his desk a handful of letters and glanced curiously over them. Even Mr. Rhinehart, Hollings, and the others scattered to their awaiting tasks, and Christopher and McPhearson were left alone. "That's a present worth having, isn't it?" the boy cried with delight. "It is like a dream come true," the Scotchman answered, with misty eyes. FINIS By Sara Ware Bassett _The Invention Series_ PAUL AND THE PRINTING PRESS STEVE AND THE STEAM ENGINE TED AND THE TELEPHONE WALTER AND THE WIRELESS CARL AND THE COTTON GIN CHRISTOPHER AND THE CLOCKMAKERS