The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-10-18
THE WICKED FLEA.
He Brought About Trouble.
Peck's Milwaukee Sun.

Peck's Milwaukee Sun.
As we predicted long ago, the practice cer-
tain girls have of wearing small, shaggy dog
in their laps is bound to make trouble, case
in point at Chicago will illustrate how the fatal
practice of keeping pct dog to kiss will break
up the best of friendship.
A young gentleman who does business on
tho Chicago board Of trade was in love with
beautiful Wabash avenue girl, and it was be-
leved by all that he would soon allow her to
lead him and her dog to the altar, for she kept
a 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 were once married he would take
the dog by his hind leg and knock
its brains out against a lamp-post Her
dog was her dog, and that fact
annoyed the lover moro than would have been
the case otherwise But the young man en-
joyed himself much, in pressing his suit, or
his girls suit, rather, of an evening, after the
dog had gone to sleep aud been put in its crib.
He would sit on the veranda with the object of
his alteration, 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 hugging
close to the shore, he would hug her-not
the ship-and she would hug back, accord
ing to Hoyle, and then she would sit on his
lap, and he would sit in hers, and then he
would get nervous and go home.
There seemed TO DO 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 yearning to
scratch himself, vague longing to get up and
90 away. He went to doctor and was ex-
aminod, and the doctor charged him five dol
lars for the information that he was covered
with ilcas. He could not believe it until he
went to his room and got his room mate to help
him catch quantity of fleas. Then his soul
was up in arms. There was certain pleasure
in the thought that he had caught the fieas
from the one he loved, but when he reflected
that she had caught them from the dog, and
the dog had caught .hcm from another dog,
and that the other dog had caught them from
an Italian, and the Italian had caught them
from monkey, and 80 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 frightened look, and a cry as though
the house was coming down, he said:
"Stand bNckl There is that about You
that crawls and hops, and bites You have
got lleas!"
"Sir!" said she, her eyes flashing with fire,
"tllis insolonce shall cost you dear. | have no
| fleas. Why dost thou accuse me of tieas?"
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 mastering up
courage to speak, "and have found that it is
| feas You hold that dog, and the tleas leave
him to meander about your system, piciickinG
ey day and going for me at night When
come to you every flea comes to me for a
square meal. They come forth like flowers
| from your neck, your corsets, your shoes The
woods are full of them, and my life is a bur
den. Unless you swear off keeping dog and
rid yourself of heas, all between us must be
at an end. 1t must be no dog and no tleas, OF
no Ike Which shall it be?"
| She thought long over the matter, her eyes
looking into the future, but did not answer.
He was good match and was long on pork,
but she could not make up her mind to part
with her dear dog, that cost her SlO0. Final
| Iva bright thought struck her, and she offered
to compromise by using insect powder. His
heart had seemingly been turned to stone, and
he told her he could not consent 10 any com
| PROMISE and, leaving the house, he gave her
two days to decide. The next day he saw her
at n matinee with hotel clerk, and the clerk
was constantly feeling up his sleeves or down
his neck for something, and no thinks she
still keeps the dog. Thus two hearts will be
broken-Chicago hearts, toby the poodle
dog.