The Wasp — 1914 — page 269: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a narrative text page rather than a cartoon. The passage describes a romantic plot involving Elizabeth, Alexander, James Burnham (described as a pirate), and Commander Scovil. The story involves Alexander convincing Scovil to accept his resignation from naval service so he can escape to England with Elizabeth, his lover. Elizabeth fears her brother James Burnham—apparently a pirate—might expose damaging information about himself, threatening her marriage prospects. She therefore rushes to arrange a wedding before complications arise. The passage references "a remarkable sea-fight in which a pirate had come to the help of a king's" forces, suggesting this serialized story involves actual historical events mixed with romantic melodrama typical of 19th-century satirical magazines.