The Wasp, 1918 · page 13 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains prose fiction rather than cartoons or satire. It appears to be a serialized story titled "The Wasp" featuring a character named James Burnham, third son of Sir Walter Burnham of Berkshire, near Wantage. The narrative describes Burnham's financial desperation—his fortunes at "a dangerous ebb"—and his resort to questionable schemes (gambling, dice manipulation) to replenish his pockets. The text notes his social isolation after friends abandoned him and even "Kitty Trimmer, of Wantage" deserted him. The passage introduces his father, Sir Walter, characterized as "a hard man and a hard rider" with an "unforgiving" temperament. Without visible illustrations on this page, I cannot identify specific satirical targets or political references.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
yj TE sp had set his mind along a line of dark and uncomfortable reflections. His own fortunes were at a dangerous abe, and he was without hope of an immediate turn of the tide. Already he had‘ been forced to — several questionable and dangerous expedients for the replenishing of his pockets, and already- he felt the eyes of suspicion upon him. His fingers were not clever enough for the improper - ‘manipulation of the dice and cards, it would seem ; so what was left to him but the road ? He doubted if his grieved and indignant father — would give him another chance. And his town companions, brawlers and reckless gamesters though they were, had eased away from him during the past two days. Even Kitty had ~ deserted him—Kitty Trimmer, of Wantage, — whom he had clothed in rich silks and made “merry with rare wines. Kitty had left him as a’ tat leaves a doomed ship. James Burnham was the third of four brothers, _ the sons of Sir Walter Burnham, of Burnham, near Wantage in Berkshire. Sir Walter was ae hard man and a hard rider, upright in his saddle and in his dealings with his fellows, high-tempered and unforgiving and full of peculiar whims. One of his whims—and it took on the dignity — COMME OOS Corn) ~