Extricating Young Gussie
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"Extricating Young Gussie" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse. It first appeared in the United States in the September 15, 1915 issue of the Saturday Evening Post, and in the United Kingdom in the January 1916 edition of the Strand. It was included in the collection The Man With Two Left Feet, (1917).
The story features the first appearance of some of Wodehouse's most popular and enduring characters, valet extraordinaire Jeeves and his master Bertie Wooster (although Bertie's surname here appears to be Mannering-Phipps, and Jeeves' role is very small). Bertie's imperious Aunt Agatha also appears.
The first meeting of Jeeves and Bertie would later be chronicled, in the short "Jeeves Takes Charge".
[edit] Plot
Aunt Agatha drags Bertie out of bed at the ungodly hour of eleven-thirty. She is most distressed that her nephew, and Bertie's cousin Gussie has fallen in love with a chorus-girl in New York, and asks Bertie to head over there and talk some sense into the lad.
Arriving at Gussie's New York hotel, Bertie is surprised to find no sign of his cousin. Out in the bustling street he runs into Gussie, now going by the name of "George Wilson", who is about to appear on the music-hall stage in order to please his girl's ex-pro father. Bertie, worried by this, telegraphs his Aunt Julia for help.
After some rehearsals, Gussie's first show rolls round, and Bertie finds himself sat next to a very pretty girl. Gussie has stage-fright and starts badly, but halfway through his second song the girl beside Bertie joins in, bucking Gussie up and getting a big round from the audience. It turns out she is the girl Gussie loves.
Aunt Julia arrives, and Bertie takes her to see Gussie and his girl in their respective shows. They then pay a call on the girl's father, Mr Joe Danby, who turns out to have known and loved Julia in her music-hall days. Julia tells him her son has inherited her talent; he demands she stay with him where she belongs.
Meeting Gussie soon after, Bertie hears Julia and Danby are to be married, as are Gussie and Danby's daughter. Receiving a telegram from Aunt Agatha asking if she should come and help, Bertie puts her off, and resolves to avoid England for some time...
