In 1926 Theophilus North, 29 years old, leaves his four years employment at a New Jersey school and goes to Newport, Rhode Island, to buy a car that a friend sold him.

He tries to get an income giving private lessons and as a reader for $2.00 per hour, but soon his ability in solving problems helps introduce him to Newport's high society.

The novel is written in the first person; in fact the fictional author declares it is an abstract of a journal.

However, a great part of the novel is made of dialogues between North and other characters.

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