The Flaw in the Sapphire

Copyright, 1909, by THE METROPOLITAN PRESS
Registered at Stationers’ Hall, London ( All Rights Reserved )
Printed in the United States of America
Press of Wm. G. Hewitt 24-26 Vandewater St. New York
Augustine E. McBee

Not long since there lived, in the city of Philadelphia, a young man of singular identity.
His only parallel was the comedian who is compelled to take himself seriously and make the most of it, or a tart plum that concludes in a mellow prune.
He was the affinity of two celebrated instances to the contrary.
To those who enjoy the whimsies of paradox he presented an astonishing resemblance, in countenance, to the late Benjamin Disraeli, and maintained in speech the unmistakable accent of O’Connell, the Hebrew statesman’s Celtic antagonist.
For these reasons, until the nature of his business was discovered, he was regarded with interest by that class which is disposed to estimate the contents of a book by the character of the binding, or thinks it can measure a man’s ability by the size of his hat.
On nearer acquaintance, he was relegated to the dubious distinction of an oddity to whom you would be pleased to introduce your friends if you had only a satisfactory account of his antecedents.