That's more than some others can do," he added, spiritedly, recalling by a look a recent occasion when he and McKibben, being out with friends, the latter had advised liberally and had seen his advice go wrong.
"Have you been gambling, Kent ?" asked Aileen, archly, turning to her long-time social mentor and friend.
"No, I can honestly say I haven't," replied McKibben, with a bland smile.

"I may have thought I was gambling, but I admit I don't know how.

Now Polk, here, wins all the time, don't you, Polk?
Just follow him." A wry smile spread over Lynde's face at this, for it was on record in certain circles that he had lost as much as ten and even fifteen thousand in an evening.

He also had a record of winning twenty-five thousand once at baccarat at an all-night and all-day sitting, and then losing it.
Lynde all through the evening had been casting hard, meaning glances into Aileen's eyes.

She could not avoid this, and she did not feel that she wanted to.