"It demands extreme care," returned Mr. Marwood. "We use all sorts of little clay devices to support the ware, and keep it in place while it is in the saggers." "Does it take about the same length of time to fire the glazed porcelain as for the biscuit?" inquired Theo. "No. The glost firing usually takes only from twenty-four to thirty-six hours. Afterward any bits of glaze projecting from the china or clinging to it are chipped away with a steel tool and the piece is examined. If free from flaws it goes either to the packing room to be shipped, or back to the factory, in case additional decoration is to be put on over the glaze. You may recall that I told you that there was an over-glaze and an under-glaze method of decoration." "Yes, sir." "Are your questions answered now?" "I believe they are, thank you." "And you can now make china without trouble--whatever kind you like best?" "I shouldn't want to start doing it to-morrow," chuckled Theo. "I think I should rather begin on earthenware." "You would have to go to some other mills, then," smiled Mr. Marwood. "We make no C. C. ware here." "What is C. C. ware?" "Ask Mr. Croyden," replied Mr. Marwood. "You see, we have a little joke about it. His name is Charles Croyden and sometimes in jest we call him C. C. Now C. C. ware (an abbreviation for cream-colored) is one of the cheapest of the white earthenwares. When first manufactured it used to be of a pale yellowish tint, but now it is made in white. Nevertheless its quality has not been materially improved. As Mr. Croyden manufactures only the finer grades of chinas it is a favorite quip of ours to call him C. C." Theo laughed heartily. "I will ask him about the C. C. ware some time," grinned the boy. [Illustration] CHAPTER XVIII THEO'S GREAT CHOICE [Illustration] Theo was as good as his word. That noon as he and Mr. Croyden sat at luncheon he remarked mischievously: "You did not tell me, sir, that you made C. C. ware here." Mr. Croyden raised his eyes quickly and laughed. "So they passed that joke on to you, did they?" he said. "C. C. ware indeed! You young rascal! I have half a mind now not to send to your mother that blue vase you admired so much." "That blue vase! The one with the girl's head on it?" cried Theo. "Are you really going to send it to Mother?" "If you behave yourself I am," came grimly from the older man. "And if she will let you come and visit us again some time." "Oh, Mother'll be crazy over that vase. It is a corker!" exclaimed Theo. "I can tell her how I saw them making it." "You shall carry it back to her then, since you think she will like it," declared Mr. Croyden. "That is unless you would rather select as a present a piece of C. C. ware," he added humorously. Theo smiled and shook his head. "Or maybe you would prefer a bit of Samian ware, or jet ware, or Rockingham ware, or yellow ware, or stoneware, or ironstone china, or white granite, or Queen's."