Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-06
THE WICKED FLEA.
He Brought About Trouble.
From Peck's Milwaukee Sun.

trouble. A case in point at Chicago will
illustrate how the fatal practice of keeping
a pet dog to kiss will break up the best of
friendship.
young gentleman who does business
on The Chicago Board of trade was in love
with beautiful Wabash avenue girl, and
it was believed by all that he would soon
allow her to lead him and her dog to the
altar, for she kepta dog. He was not very
much mashed on the dog any of the time
and it hurt him to see her caress the brute,
but he thought when they we're once mar
ried he would take the dog by its hind leg
and knock its brains out against lamp
post. Her dog was her dog, and that
fact annoyed the lover more than would
have been the case otherwise. But the
young man enjoyed himself much, in pres
sing his suit, or his girls suit, rather, of an
evening, after the dog had gone to sleep
and been put in its crib. He would sit on
the veranda with the object of his adore
ton, and gaze out across the lake front
park at the stately ships as they went by,
and as one big ship would seem to be hug
ging close to the shore, he would hug her
not the ship-and she would hug back
according to Hoyle, and then she would
sit on his lap, and he would sit in hers,
and then he would get nervous and 60
home.
There seemed to be something biting
him. He could keep his nerve on The
board of trade, though wheat went against
him, but when his girl got against him he
felt a yearning to scratch himself, vague
longing to ge5 up and go away. He went
to a doctor end was examined, and the
doctor charged him five dollars for the
information that he was covered with deas.
He could not believe it until he went to his
room end got his room-ma to help him
catch q quantity OF fees. Then his soul
Yves up in arms. There was certain
pleasure in the thought that he had caught
the >feas from the one he loved, but when
he reflected that she had caught them
from the dog, and the dog had caught
them from another dog, and that the other
dog had caught them from an Italian, and
the Italian had caught them from . me n
key, end SO on back, he was sick. That
evening he called on his girl, and as she
rushed into his presence, and was going
to throw herself, dog and all, into his
arms, with a frightened look, and q cry
as though the house was coming down, he
said:
'Stand back! There ia that about yeu
that crawls, and hops, and bites. You have
got feasy'
''Sir!'' said she, her eyes flashing with
fire, ''th:s insolence shall cost you DEAR"
81 have no f1eas. Why dost thou accuse
me of deas?" and the tears came to her
eyes, but she wiped them away with the
dog, and controlled her emotion.
"For months have had something about
me each time went from your side that
has made me pay attention" said he, mus
tering up courage to speak, land have
found that it is feas. You hold that dog.
and the f1eas leave him to meander about
your system, picnicking by day and going
for me at night. When I come to you ev-
cry flea comes to me for a square meal.
They come forth like flowers, from your
neck, your corset, your shoes. The woods
are full of them, and my life is burden.
unless you swear off kseping a dog, and
rid yourself of feas, all between us must be
at an end. It must be no dog and no feas,
or no Ike. Which shall it be?"
She thought long over the matter, her
answer. He was a good match and was
long on pork, but she could not make up
her mind to part with her dear dog, that
cost her 800. Finally bright thought
struck her, and she offered to compromise
by using insect powder. His heart had
seemingly been turned to stone, and he
told he he could not consent to any COM
promise, and, leaving the house, he gave
her two days to decide. The next day he
saw her at a matinee with hotel clerk,
and the clerk, and the clerk was constantly
feeling up his sleeves or down his neck for
something, and he thinks she still keeps
the dog. Thus two hearts will be broken
Chicago hearts, too--by the poodle dog.