The Red Cloud chief., 1912-05-30

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she may have been. she Is now living
in state Of polygamy. To desert her
last husband after all these years and
20 to perfect stranger Is little
more than could be expected of her,
and yet her position as the wife OF
Jones Is a trying one. Nobody blames
her, but those who know the circum
stances are wondering what the out
come of the tangle will be. Her nu
merous offspring by her last husband
would not consent to her leaving the
roof of their father even If she wished
to do SO.
Not Sure He ls Her Brother.
II Mrs. Thompson had gone into
court and had her husband pro.
nounced legally dead before she mar
ried the second time all would have
been well. But so certain was she
that he was dead that she did not
take this precaution. Possibly some
technicality of the law will come to
her rescue. The matter has not been
inquired into. With her the matter
is simply that here are two men, both
living, whom she has recognized as hus
band, and both Of whom are the ia
thers of her children.
Thompson Is back in Savannah, at
the home of his sister. She declares
that while she has accepted him. she
Is not at all sure that he Is really her
brother. She does not believe that
a real flesh and blood brother could
drop suddenly from nowhere in par
ticular after an absence Of AZ years.
Everybody Is afraid to take the mat
ter into court for fear of further com
plicating the situation and bringing
out trying points heretofore over
looked. The consensus Of opinion
seems to be that Thompson ought to
disappear again and remain dead. Or
better still, he ought to have remain
ed in the west. and not come BACK
to trouble his wife ut all.
Jones is apparently waiting for the
other man to make the first move In
the case. He holds the trump cards
in that he is in possession Of the dis
puted wife. And possession Is nine
points of the law, you know" he
says with a laugh. He is not letting
the situation work. him much. either.
1t is probable that as long as Thomp
son does not move he will allow the
matter to drop. And Thompson ap
pears inclined to be quiescent. He
will remain with his sister for ~fhe
present. There is plenty OF time to
make his plans for the future.
Has Fund Of Strange Tales.
This Is the basis upon which the
matter stands at present. Thomp
sons ambition seems solely to be
among his own people-to make lit
. tie niche somewhere where he car
spend the remainder Of his days and
. earn Ave feet of ground In the end
: In which his bones may rest along
side those OF his father and mother
} Why Thompson did not tramp to
ward Georgia instead Of continually
away from 1t Ia q secret that remains
, locked in his own bosom. On thi'
, poiut he has been consistently silent
, He talks of his adventures pleasant
| ly and Of the affairs Of his family hu
morously, but any questions leading
. up to his reasons for remaining ava!
/. go long invariably silences him.
a Thompson shows his age more thar
!. his wife. His face IL finely lined ant
2 wrinkled. His shoulders are littl'
!. bent, but they are Of great breadth. ant
!. would indicate that he was man
q great physical strength In his youns
a er days. His teeth are white and fine
!. and his smile is pleasant and infee
r t,ous. He has at his tongues end tn
"blarney" that comes to all who pu
their feet upon the road. He has
fund of strange tales always ready 4
= tell, and he apparently takes delight Il
!. relating them. He is q pleasant CON
!, panion, and there Is much crude wis
- dom buried beneath his experiences
n All Georgia and the south Is intel
4 ested in the strange case. Everybod
= has a solution of the difilcultyy to o.
!. fer. The theories advanced are a
" thick as dust in vacant houses. Blu
a lit Ia not theories that are troublin
= these old people. 1t Is hard facts
n facts that drive thought home as wit
4. the impact OF hammer. What 10 {
"a be done? Suppose Thompson d.
n mands his wife at the hands OF jones
At What will the consequence be! Mr.
sr Jones cannot deny that she Is the VIII
of Thompson under the law. The
n what will the consequences be to th
~ children who have been born to he
,e In the intervening years since Thoml
ut son disappeared?