THE ALABASTER JAR. 
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TIartway, With a laugh. c< I ? m really not a 
bit superstitious. Madison is a crank in 
these things. He believes in the devil, you 
know. Funny idea.” Hart way adjusted his 
tie in the mirror and turned to the door. 
“ I’m much obliged to you/' he said. “ I 
thought you’d be no trouble. A cheque gets 
over most scruples, eh ? Now, mind you are 
very impressive and serious in the way you 
tell them. Lay it on thick.” 
Hartway led the way back to the saloon. 
The other men were talking at tire table. 
Professor Madison was looking through one 
of the open port-holes at the lights of the 
town. Fie turned as Dr. Howe entered and 
touched his arm. 
“ I’d rather they did not try to open the 
jar/’ he said, in an aside. cc Can't you 
persuade them not to ? ” 
Howe shrugged his shoulders. 
“ That is hardly my business/’ he said. 
“ Do you really think there is any danger ? ” 
Well, it’s impossible to say. But I hate 
meddling with these supernatural things. I’ve 
seen one or two examples in Egypt that have 
left an indelible impression on my mind.” 
Hartway interrupted them. 
“ Now, doctor, will you be so kind as to 
give the result of your examination ? We 
are all anxious to hear.” 
Dr. Howe walked across the saloon to the 
table. The men round it looked at him 
expectantly. He fixed his eyes on the 
ancient alabaster jar that stood amongst the 
confusion of coffee-cups and wineglasses and 
fruit-dishes before him. 
“ Gentlemen,” he said, gravely. “ I have 
no hesitation in giving you the result of my 
examination.” 
“ Bully for you 1 ” said Stonewall William. 
Dr. Howe raised his eyes and looked round 
at the men before him. 
They were watching him with a certain 
fascination, for the judgment he was about to 
pass, although probably of no special value, 
was of compelling intertest* They expected a 
long rigmarole in which he would hint that 
one or other of them showed signs of breaking 
up at a fairly early date. None of them would 
attach much importance to it, beyond that it 
settled who was now to open the jar. But 
when Dr. Howe pronounced his verdict there 
was a moment’s silence. 
“ There is one of you,” he said, in a low 
voice, “ who has not more than a year to live 
at the very outside .” He straightened his 
back and looked across the table and spoke 
clearly. “ And that is Mr. Hart way.” 
He met the financier’s look steadily. The 
others turned in their chairs, staring. Stone- 
wall William made a curious noise with his 
tongue and glanced at Vornheim, 
