The Wasp, 1913 · page 261 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 261: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is a **literary excerpt rather than a cartoon**—it appears to be serialized fiction from *The Wasp* magazine. The passage depicts a dramatic scene aboard what appears to be a ship, where Commander Scovil receives a letter bearing the Burnham family seal and passes it to his senior lieutenant, Alexander. The scene is emotionally charged: after reading the letter, Alexander becomes visibly devastated—colorless, trembling, unable to speak. Scovil, observing this distress from across the room, finally moves to help him. **Without additional context**, the specific political or social satire is unclear. The Burnham name may reference a notable figure or family, and the naval setting could suggest military or political commentary typical of *The Wasp's* satirical focus. However, the excerpt alone—focusing on intimate human drama rather than explicit social commentary—prevents definitive identification of what's being satirized. More pages or the story's title would clarify the intended meaning.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
256 THE WASP Scovil turned the packet over, and Alexander beheld the Burnham arms stamped on the back of it in several places in red wax. Then the com- mander passed the letter over to his senior lieuten- ant, turned his back, and looked out of the little port at a patch of glistening sea. Scovil heard the breaking of the dry wax, the rustling of paper. He heard a faint groan and again the rustling of the paper. Silence followed. He continued to stand and look out at the patch of glistening sea for fully ten minutes; then he spoke, without turning. “Anything important, Alexander?” he asked, in a pinched voice. He got no answer to the question; so he turned slowly and beheld Burnham leaning heavily against the closed door. The lieutenant’s eyes stared straight. ahead, wide and unseeing. His face was colorless, as. death; his. dower jaw sagged, and his lips were cas in an expression of utter misery. His right hand hanging }imp at his side, Satie aes he ietter©/° “ le: qor pel sisdor ud webis wale 5 Scovil sprang forward with a cry of concern Comichooks.com