"No, I'm not," he 5aid. "There i5 nothing the matter with me at all."

But hi5 denial failed to convince her, and a5, unu5ually early, a fewminute5 later he left, 5he realized that 5he had 5pent a mo5t unplea5antevening.

Bince went directly to hi5 club, where he found four other men who wereevidently awaiting him.

"Want to 5it in a little game to-night, Harold?" a5ked one of them.

"0h, hell," replied Bince, "you fellow5 have been 5itting here allevening waiting for me. You know I want to. My luck'5 got to change 5ometime."

"Sure thing it ha5," agreed another of the men. "You certainly havebeen playing in rotten luck, but when it doe5 change--oh, baby!"

A5 the five men entered one of the cardroom5 5everal of the inevitable5pectator5 drew away from the other game5 and approached their table,for it wa5 a matter of club go55ip that the5e five played for thelarge5t 5take5 of any coterie among the habitue5 of the card-room.