The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-21

thoroughly convinced of her cleverness by
this time, will you pardon me if / ask
you what the pile of manuscript at your
side means? What are you writing?"
Turning contemplatively towards the
heap of old yellow MSS. mingled with pa
pers of more recent date, she unused re-
tiectiyely upon them for moment and
then exclaimed:
"Chats with Charles Dickens"
The writer started.
"Snug Lake Shanty. The Hounds Re-
treat. Brooklyn. Liverpool Street, Lon
don. Charles Dickens"
Just godsI What a gapl What long
covered bridge had this woman come over |?
What sad secret lay hid in her history {?
What strange story was locked beneath
those iron lips? What following years
had turned those papers2 What weird,
thrilling romance had been so long mys-
teriously buried in that little hut in the
hollow?
Have you never been approached by
newspaper men?" continued the writer,
when he had sufficiently recovered his
senses.
PLENTY of them. have been a charac-
ter in the courts"
Have you never said anything TO any
one about those manuscripts before?"
Never"
"Why2"
because nobody ever happened 10 see
them before. You are the first one. sir. to
whom have ever spoken on the subject.
except TO William" she replied, pointing
as she spoke TO her husband, who. with the
same unspeakahly imperturbabIe express
sion of countenance, sat reclining al ease
against the post of the gate, fast asleep.
''Will you talk2"
what about?" reioined the woman.
Quizzicaily, land what for?'
For print. And what about? About
yourself. about Dickens, and especially
about your relations 10 Dickens, as dis
closed in your chats with him"
The woman hesitated, reflected mo-
ment and finally said:
IF can so as TO say anything that will
interest anybody concerning my early re-
lations with Mr.. Dickens and al the same
time not encroaeh too much upon my
forthcoming book, | will do so"
you may do just that. Please tell what
you are willing 70 IN your own way"
VERY we'll" said she Write down
just what l say. I'll talk print"
Gathering up her pile of yellow papers
NJ the door of the little hut she told this
startling story, refreshing her memory as
TO dates, places, names, from time 20 time
by referring to her manuscript. II was
born in the heart Of busy. busting Lon
don, at o6 Cheapside, opposite old Bow
church, corner Lawrence Lane, in the
wear ISL. My father was Gabriel Shire
Tregear, the famous metropolitan picture
merchant of London, formerly alder
man of the city. Ny mother
was Ann Mclean, the sister Of
the four Mclean brothers Thomas, Ed
ward, Charles and Hector, so well known
in London. They were married IN 1872
The name Tregear is a noble one. The
Tregears originally came from town
named after themselves in Normandy.
France. The full name Of the family was
Raymondo de la Tregair, the word Tregair
~ that time being spelt with an air instead
Of an ear as il afterward was. Even after
Queen Elizabeth's reign, the name was not
Tregair but Raymond de Ia TreEair, as
stated by several historians. When the
family first came from Normandy they
settled in Cornwall on tract of land
which they called Tregear, about i've
miles from Tenro.
The great London emporium was \
perfect exhibition in itself. Ny father, sir,
was famous publisher. Sir Edwin Land
seer was = great friend Of my father and a
frequent visitor 10 his house. 1t was 3
noted rendezvous of all the great wits, art
lists and authors of London. 1hackerav,
Tennyson, Mark Lennon, Hood, Thorn
ton, Hunt, Edmund Yates. BTontaire,
o'Brien, Ernest Jones. Carlyle and men Of
that literary Tx.
NV father was 4 very clever carieatur-
list himself, and / inherit his faculty for
drawing / have always been in the
habit OF instantly sketching ali the pecu-
liar peopie / meet Nv father was rich
and reared Us al in s;flGeuce. | have
often seen him come into my mothers
room and fling = thousand pound note
into my mothers lap, enchanting, as he
kissed her. that is for you. / have just
made il out OF the sale OF picture.
Il was horn on the anniversary Of the
queens birthday, and named after her
royal highness, Victoria | was one of
thirteen children. / was educated, IS were
nv sisters, By private masters. During
certain intervals Of my life / also attended
certain celebrated schools, notably that Of