The Wasp, 1918 · page 303 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 303: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains serialized fiction rather than a political cartoon. It depicts a dramatic domestic scene where Willis confronts his wife Kitty about James Burnham, a man apparently guilty of murdering "innocent voyagers." Willis reveals conflicted feelings—Burnham was once his friend and saved his life in a duel on the island of Nevis, yet Willis now knows him to be a criminal. Despite his moral qualms, Willis assures Kitty that Burnham is "safe" from his actions. The passage ends mysteriously with Kitty secretly throwing a silk pouch from a window, suggesting she's protecting Burnham or destroying evidence. The narrative explores themes of loyalty versus justice, past friendship versus present knowledge of wrongdoing—typical of Victorian-era serialized melodrama featured in *The Wasp*.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
204 Ter Wise with innocent blood. ‘The jewels on his fingers are the devil’s wages to him for work well done— _ if what I have been told is true. I should have held him when he was here. I should have thrown the charge in his teeth ; but the amazing self-assurance of the man and the suddenness and fine manners of him scattered my wits.” “No, no!” cried Kitty. “He was your friend once.” ** Aye, he was my friend; and I still feel a sneaking, dishonest affection for him,” replied Willis. “I held his hand just now—not the hand of the murderer of innocent voyagers, but the hand of the duellist that wrought so well for me that morning on the sands of Nevis. But there—I meant not to say that! The past is dead, sweeting. As for James Burnham, he is. safe from any word or act of mine—and it was like you, my wife, who had known him only as an acquaintance for a little while in Nevis, to plead for him !” He came over to her and took her in his arms. She clung to him and wept. Half an hour later, when Kitty was alone for a minute, she tore a tiny pouch of silk from her bosom and flung it from the open window with all her strength. I: like to think that the six _| icomicbooks-com| || Hii | | i i Ay