The Wasp, 1918 · page 113 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 113: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be part of a serialized romantic fiction story rather than a political cartoon or satire. The text describes James Burnham, a man on horseback, observing a woman named Kitty Trimmer riding ahead with a young naval officer. The narrative centers on romantic tension and social maneuvering: Burnham has been carefully courting an unnamed girl, but becomes distracted when he notices Kitty—described as a tailor's daughter who possesses an almost calculated ability to attract men through her appearance and bearing. The passage emphasizes her "art" of captivation. This likely reflects *The Wasp*'s serialized fiction content, popular in 19th-century magazines. The social commentary, if any, may touch on class distinctions (tailor's daughter) and the "game" of courtship among various social ranks, but the primary content is romantic narrative rather than political satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
104 = THE WASP but James Burnham would have lost all. He had played the game so far with amazing delicacy — and understanding of the girl’s nature and his own; and now he rodeat her stirrup and wondered _ if he dared risk the final throw. He turned slightly in his saddle and looked at her fairly; and her eyes came to his on the instant, the white lids drooping in a tender, and veiled regard. His own gaze softened ; something like remorse moved feebly within him, and his cool blood jumped briskly with admira- tion. He was about to speak when two riders passed at a hand-gallop, the long skirt of one of them brushing his near stirrup. A tinkle of familiar laughter rang in his ears. ' Burnham looked ahead and beheld Kitty Trimmer’s graceful back and the gleam of her harvest-ripe hair beneath the jaunty slant of a wide, plumed hat. Where had the tailor’s daughter learned that trick of wearing a hat so that a man’s pulses quickened at the first glimpse of the hat alone? The art had always been hers. She was riding with a very young gentleman from the frigate. She turned her head and glanced back over her shoulder, and for a second her glance was held by Burnham’s fixed and Kcomicbooks'c