Travels of a Flea

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In a glass case a woman is exhibiting a few trained fleas for a livelihood, and the spectators get the benefit of the whole performance for two cents. After the fleas have performed their stunts the public depart, when all at once the last spectator starts to scratch himself frantically. He rushes out and stops to tell a policeman what his trouble is. He has scarcely finished his tale when the officer also gets the itch. At the same moment the flea trainer comes running out of her menagerie, screaming that one of her artists has been stolen. Seeing the policeman going his way, scratching, she pursues him. He, however, stops to talk to a nurse, the flea jumps on her: she goes her way, and stopping to have a drink, the troublesome animal jumps on the waiter. From waiter to officer, from officer to a row of soldiers, from soldiers to a college boy, does the flea jump and bite, until the trainer, who has followed all the peregrinations of her beloved pet. and has vainly endeavored to catch up with the last but always changing, flea-troubled citizen, catches hold of the young student, and after having secured her beloved scholar, goes home, taking the youth along with her.