The Wasp, 1918 · page 102 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 102: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a narrative excerpt (likely from a serialized story) rather than a cartoon. The text depicts a rivalry between two men—an unnamed protagonist and Percy Stanton—apparently competing for advancement and romantic attention in a West Indian colonial setting. The protagonist is furious that Percy, despite being described as a "cowardly, pie-faced simpleton," may win favor with a woman nicknamed "fair Kitty" through Major Black's intervention. When the protagonist encounters officers who reveal Percy is incapacitated (sleeping off a heavy breakfast), he seizes the opportunity to pose as concerned, having Percy moved to his quarters while subtly probing whether Kitty is Percy's wife. The satire targets colonial social climbing and masculine rivalry—the protagonist's calculated performance of concern masks opportunistic maneuvering. The reference to West Indian breakfasts causing newcomers distress adds period-specific local color, mocking colonial pretensions and physical weakness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 93 fail to silence him. He made his way to a’. secluded corner 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 temperature of his blood was choking. He moved toward 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 breakfasts frequently prove too much _ for new arrivals. But—ah, you mentioned a } ae é . _ fair Kitty. Mr. Stanton’s wife, I suppose ? ”’ a : comichooks.com