He was in a fashionable bar in Manhattan—a bar frequented by radio and movie stars, wealthy heirs and heiresses, amateur and professional athletes. Gideon had defeated a tennis player, at the time the most famous in the world, at both darts and pool. The tennis player’s name was Bill Tilden. He was as tall as Gideon and had a similarly large build. He was also a gentleman and paid his debt graciously and bought Gideon a drink. “If I had your consistency,” Bill said, “I’d never lose a set. You must tell me how you do it.” Gideon had told Bill his name was Isaac Lamb, and he was an automobile salesman. The two sat together in a circular booth talking about Gideon’s—or Isaac’s—method for improving his consistency at various games and then they talked about their lives. Only one spoke honestly
