The Wasp, 1918 · page 291 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 291: 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 dramatic scene involving a character named James conducting a dangerous nighttime visit to confront someone named Stanton at his lodgings. The narrative describes James disguising himself in various personas (dandy, scholar, mariner) while carrying substantial wealth—fifty guineas plus diamonds worth a thousand guineas. He's armed with a sword and knife, preparing to enter what's explicitly described as "a risky place" in a disreputable area of town. The text suggests this is a revenge scenario: James previously administered a beating with a "supple-jack" and has been waiting to encounter Stanton again. The dramatic language and emphasis on danger and deception suggests this is likely a serialized adventure or crime story from *The Wasp*, a satirical publication that also ran fiction alongside its commentary pieces. Without seeing illustrations or more context, the specific satirical target remains unclear.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
282°. THE WASP ‘containing minted gold to at least one-third of © the value of the stones. He returned straight to his lodgings. James continued to haunt the town of nights, sometimes as a dandy, sometimes as a decent, middle-aged scholar with a slightly humped. | back, and sometimes as a bearded mariner. He saw nothing of Robert Willis; and it was not until the fifth night after he had administered the beating with the supple-jack that he saw Stanton back in his favourite tavern. He had been waiting for this very thing; and | as soon as darkness filled the streets again he slipped out of his humble lodgings arrayed in eo his bravest attire. Hidden upon his gorgeous: person he carried fifty guineas and, in the form of six fine diamonds, the value ofa thousand guineas. He hired a chair at the corner of the street and in it made the journey to Stanton’slodgings. He paid and dismissed the men at the black door- | way, and they did not wait to be told twice to: © return to a safer quarter of the town. as <a James drew his sword, and with a knife in his left hand ascended the shaking stairs, for | this was a risky place for a gentleman dressed ~ | like a marquis or a duke. But as he arrived | on the landing he returned the sword to its lcomicbooks.co