The Wasp, 1918 · page 172 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 172: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be from a serialized fiction story rather than a political cartoon. It depicts a narrative scene where character James Burnham encounters a mysterious woman in what seems to be a ship's cabin. The passage emphasizes her exotic beauty through detailed description—dark hair, dark eyes, powdered cheeks, and silk clothing—while noting she carries a small knife despite showing no fear or anger. The "tough rascals" admiring her from the doorway suggests either a working-class setting or a morally ambiguous location. Without additional context about *The Wasp* publication date, the broader story, or what precedes/follows this passage, the satirical or political intent remains unclear. The scene could be satirizing romantic fiction conventions, social attitudes toward women, class dynamics, or something specific to the period—but the text alone doesn't reveal which. More information about the publication's date and the story's context would be necessary for accurate interpretation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 163 open with his shoulder and stumbled into a narrow, clean, white berth well lit by a port. The fellows crowding on the threshold swore with astonishment and delight; and James Burnham steadied himself and stared into the eyes of a woman. She was young and tall and generously pro- portioned. Her hair was black and of silken texture ; her eyes were as dark and liquid as eddies in a deep river; her brow was smooth, and her glowing cheeks showed an artful bloom of white powder. She wore a long robe of flowered silk, its open neck displaying the white pillar of her throat and a flake of her white breast ; its short sleeves discovering her round white arms. Her left hand was pressed to her bosom, and in her right hand she held a knife no thicker than a bodkin; but her eyes gave no sign of either fear or fury. A smile touched her crimson lips, and her gaze wavered from James Burn- ham’s face. The tough rascals in the door openly swore their admiration. Burnham bowed. : “This is an unexpected pleasure, my dear -madam,” he said. ‘‘May I make so bold as _-to ask you-for the pretty toy in your hand— comichooks.com