Jeeves and the Old School Chum
| "Jeeves and the Old School Chum" | |
|---|---|
| Author | P. G. Wodehouse |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Jeeves |
| Genre(s) | Comedy |
| Publisher | The Strand Magazine |
| Media type | Print (Magazine) |
| Publication date | January 1930 |
| Preceded by | "The Love That Purifies" |
| Followed by | "Indian Summer of an Uncle" |
"Jeeves and the Old School Chum" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in February 1930, and in Cosmopolitan in the United States that same month. The story was also included as the ninth story in the 1930 collection Very Good, Jeeves.
Bertie's friend Bingo Little appears in the story. He needs help from Bertie and Jeeves when his wife's old school friend, Laura Pyke, starts enforcing her strict ideas about what people should eat on Bingo's diet.
— Bingo resents Rosie's old school chum
Bertie visits Bingo Little, who has inherited a large income and country home. On the day of Bertie's departure, Bingo invites him to return for the Lakenham horse races, where he and his wife Rosie will picnic. Rosie tells Bingo that Laura Pyke, her old school friend whom she admired greatly as a child, plans to visit. Bertie leaves, and when he returns later, he finds Bingo upset. Laura Pyke criticizes how other people eat. Rosie hangs on her friend's every word, and now Bingo cannot get the food he wants. Bertie has dinner with the Littles and Pyke, who criticizes Bingo. Bertie is concerned that Pyke is souring Rosie's view of Bingo. Bertie asks Jeeves to think of a way to help Bingo.
On the day of the Lakenham races, Bertie expects Pyke will choose the picnic's food. He asks Jeeves, who is bringing his own sandwiches, to also bring some for him. Bingo, however, packs plenty of edible food in the luncheon basket. At the races, they realize no one brought the luncheon basket. Pyke says that lunch is better skipped anyway, and Rosie assents. Bertie discovers that Jeeves has brought enough sandwiches for himself, Bertie, and Bingo. The three of them eat in secrecy, then Jeeves says he removed the basket from the car before they started. He believes that missing lunch may make Rosie less sympathetic towards Pyke. Bertie doubts the plan.
As evening approaches, Rosie wants to go home. Bertie drives her and Pyke in the Littles' car. After a while, the car stops. Pyke notices that the car is out of fuel, and insults Bingo for not filling the tank. Rosie defends her husband. Bertie tries to acquire petrol from a nearby house, but the man there is not helpful. Bertie then wanders down the road, and sees his car, driven by Jeeves and containing Bingo. Bingo jumps out, tells Jeeves to wait five minutes, and walks up the road with Bertie, so that they can secretly listen as Rosie and Pyke argue loudly. Then Jeeves drives up, Bingo takes a tin of petrol from the car and hides it nearby, and Bertie and Bingo re-enter the car. They then drive up to Pyke and Rosie. Pyke commands Jeeves to drive her away.
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