The Wasp, 1913 · page 114 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 114: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be from a serialized narrative story in *The Wasp* rather than a political cartoon. The text depicts a dramatic moment involving rivalry between two male characters—one (the unnamed protagonist, likely Burnham) and Percy Stanton—over a woman named Kitty. The satire targets Percy's weakness: he's passed out drunk under a breakfast table while a woman has summoned him. When other officers mock Percy as "a gay blade" (meaning a carefree ladies' man), Burnham opportunistically claims Percy, offering to put him to bed in his quarters—likely to remove him from the romantic competition. The humor depends on Percy's humiliation and Burnham's calculated manipulation of the situation. The reference to "West Indian" suggests a colonial military setting, typical of period adventure fiction used in satirical magazines for entertainment alongside political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 111 ner of the grounds and sat down on a stone bench in the shade of an almond tree. He was in a black mood. Was this chance of establishing himself in the world to be dashed from him by a cowardly, pie-faced simpleton like Percy Stanton? Half an hour passed. He left the seat and paced the sanded paths. The heat was stifling. The tem- perature of his blood was choking. He moved to- ward the house and soon came in sight of the two young officers whose conversation he had overheard at the breakfast table. They greeted him with winks and laughter. “Here’s a pretty to do,” said one. “The ladies have come ashore and gone into barracks, and the fair Kitty has sent Major Black’s man over here with a note for Percy, summoning him to her side. But Percy is still sleeping under the breakfast table. A gay blade is Percy!” . Burnham laughed lightly. “The heat was too much for him, I suppose,’’ he said. “I must have him carried to my quarters and put decently to bed. These West Indian break- Comichooks.com