The Wasp — 1914 — page 237: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a text page (not a cartoon) from *The Wasp* magazine, Chapter XIII, discussing Alexander Burnham's social shame. The passage uses the metaphor of a "skeleton in the closet" to describe Burnham's family disgrace—specifically that James (presumably a relative) is "a cheat and a thief." The satire targets Burnham's acute family pride. The text suggests that while private knowledge of dishonor is painful, public exposure in Nevis society is far worse. Burnham allegedly spends his time obsessively searching messmates and shore gentlemen for "proof" of the scandal, weighing their words and glances for evidence. The passage mentions Elizabeth Nash, though her role remains unclear from this excerpt alone. The humor derives from depicting Burnham's paranoid, foolish behavior as he tries to control damage to his reputation.