The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-07
DONKEY'S DEATH IS
CAUSE OF A SUIT
French Peasant Tries TO Out
wit Veterinary in JUS
tees Court.
COSTS ARE 90 CENTS
Quibble Over Technicality
Furnishes Sport for Court
Loungers.
COSTS ARE 90 CENTS
BY GEORGES DUFRESNE,

Special Cable to The Tribune.
PARIS, July 6,-Of course, French
iuge de paix is quite unlike an English
| Justice Of the peace, and the juge de
paix in Bayeux, if he have a sense OF
humor, must enjoy his work r good
deal more than any of the JUICES de
paix in the twenty divisions of Paris.
He probably enjoyed the action
brought by Antonin Devaille. the vet
erinary surgeon of Pierreville, against
Dolphin Meioupe. I call it an action
because it must be called something,
but it may be as well to explain that
the legal expenses were only AZ
| francs, which is a bit less than 90
| cents.
Dolphin Meloupe's donkey was dead,
! and that was the cause of the trouble.
Dolphin Meloupe has very small farm
and very large sense Of economy. He
drove into market to BayeuI behind
his donkey Clothilde. because he had
dislike TO working his two horses when
he could avoid it. Besides, he had
grown accustomed to Clothllde, and she
to him.
A Sensible Animal.
She had a way Of pushing herself,
cart and all into the crowd outside the
Cafe de l'Homme-qui- -Boite when she
thought that it was time for her and
her master to 90 home, and this trick
was in itself worth money every mar"
ket day to Dolphin Meloupe.
A week ago last Saturday Clotmlde
had forgotten to fetch her master away
from the Cafe de l'Homme- qul, Boite.
The Cafe de l'Homme-qui Boite (whlch
means the cafe of the man who limps),
had originally been called the Cafe de
'Homme -uui- Bolt (the cafe of the man
who drinks).
A bumorist-the Normandy peasan'
is as humorous as a Scotchman and is
humorous in much the same dry man"
ner-who had been requested to leave
the cafe before be had really finished
drinking, had added the final "e" to
the sign, and it remained there.
Dolphin Meloupe after very pro-
fitable day, had celebrated the same IN
the usual manner. He was therefore |
quite uniustifably angry with Cloth |
Hide, because he knew that he had |
spent more money than he wanted to, |
and he beat her most of the way home.
Her Last Illness.
Dolphin Meloupe was fond of his
donkey in his own way, There was
something the matter with Clothilde |
the next day. Her head hung as she |
lay on her litter of leaves, her eyes
were half veiled, and her ears were |
quite hot. She hardly raised them |
when Dolphin walked in and talked to
her.
He knew there was something serious
about the matter, he went and
l., An nolr ha
"vet" Delvaille dislil1ed being dis
turbed at night, Dolphin stood under
his window and shouted insults at him.
Finding insults were OF no use and
needing Antonin S help, Dolphin burned
his boats.
81 will give you twenty francs, he
shouted. "whether you kill Clothildc or
cure her, and Delvaille, who had been
dressing behind the window shutter all
the time came down at once.
cts 2 promise, he said.
Antonin DelvaIlle spent most Of the
night trying TO cure Clothilde. but she
was nineteen years old, and had worked
extremely hard for poor living with.
out many days off: She had a right
to long rest and sho took it.
Dolphin and his wife wept over her
child.
Forgot TO Pay,
''M. le Juge de PaiX'i said Antonin
DalvailIe. 'he promised me the twenty
francs and he has paid me nothing
"What have YOU to say7' asked the
luge de piax, turning to Dolphin Mel
oupc. Dolphin fumblcd with his hat,
stood first Oh one foot and then the
other, and began long and rambling
story Of hard times and the great loss
Clothilde. his donkey, was 10 him.
PERHAPS NJ, le Jugc viii ask Del
viallc exactly what | promised?'
He promised shouted Delvaille
angrily, "that he would give twenty
francs whether / killed her or cured
her. -
"IVoilla. said Dolphin. "you have
said it, Did You kill Clothilde'''
She was dying whom l went TO
her, said the indignant horse doctor.
You did not kill her thenl'
"Of course, I didn IT.
And did YOU cure her.
Delvaille shrugged his shoulders ga
man cannot do miraclcs.' he said
And yet an unjust judge sentenced
Dolphin TO pay the twenty francs and
the cost Of the action. 1t was the paw
ment Of tho 90 cents that ranked