The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-03
STRANGER THAN FICTION.
Authenticated Story Of a Singular Wolnan's Life.


mother, who, though bitterly regretting
that her daughter should have regarded
it necessary to assume the disguise,
never said an unllind word to her on
the subject; and the other was niece,
who for two and twenty years kept
house for her, and was believed by all
the neighbors to be Charley Wilson'S
wife" It was a very quiet and re-
spectacle street. and her little garden
and several cage birds were the chief
recreation and pleasure and constant
source of admiration in the district.
Again, as you say you were sent
often to the country on jobs, how did
you manage for lodgings?'' 1 inquired:
NOW that look back" she answered
sit does seem remarkable that l have
never once found it inevitable to sleep
in the same room with man. used to
so to cottages rather than public
houses, for, though I have never been
a teetotaler, the accommodation of the
village inn is often very objectionable.
One time when l was on some work in
South kensington, I met a man | had
known, and he said, Charley, old chap,
there's first rate thing some of US are
going down to. It's near West Grin
stead-the whole of Sir William Bur
rell's mansion to be decorated, and
! there's a vacancy still l hesitated
little but it seemed a good thing,
! So i OLGISQ my sell ana Went. w e I'LL
| got down there, and while they were
sitting round their lunch [ strolied out,
saw nice old fellow smoking over a
gate, and said: Know where I could
| get room? I'm here for the painting
of the big house. Don't know as we
couldn't do with you ourselves and
! he took me in and showed me a clean
and comfortable room, which immedi-
ately engaged, and, fearing lest any of
my companions would want to share
it, said | would have my wife down
also and my niece; and [ had as healthy
and comfortable a summer in the coun-
try as you could have wished"
About Two years ago, Mrs. Coombes'
niece suddenly left her, and, womaniike,
she fretted very much in private over
! this. AS she said, her life was
strangely isolated one. and she loved
her young relative very dearly. 1t was
altogether a blow to her to be deprived
of this one bit of family affection, and
she lost heart and nerve in conse-
quence. Working at Kingston in the
summer, she fell from d Scaffolding
and fractured some ribs. She made a
good recovery, but no suspicion even
then was raised as to her sex by the
doctor who set them and attended her
any more than it had been when she
fell down a ships hatch and fractured
her kneecap. On this occasion, however,
the doctor had said one day: What
curiously small hands you have for a
man, Wilson" Looking, too, at them,
well formed and even white it is al
most a wonder that these never did
raise any inquiry. But her savings We're
soon exhausted, and. for the past few
weeks, work was unobtainable. For
two days and two nights this brave
hearted woman tramped the streets
with no more than a halfpenny roll
to eat, and at last she was fain to seek
the shelter of the workhouse. She
chung to a hope that somehow she
might evade the compulsory stripping,
but it was impossible and feminine
modesty revolted even to yielding up
the secret she had kept so long.
But [ hope l shall not have to stay
here long, she piteously said. My eye
sight is not as good as it was, and I
fear l shall not be able to undertake
high-class painting work again; but
could act as caretaker. | could keep q
lodge. ard should be very thankful if
[ could hear of any position of trust. !
am doing my best while am here, and
the matron is very kind to me, giving
me only some stockings to darn and
sheets to hem, instead of sending me to
scrub or wash. And i feel very uncom-
Portable in these clothes, though you
would not find me wanting any half
!
old coat and trousers, She added, with
bright laugh. Yes" she said, in an
swer to further question still, Il have
: friends among the men I've worked
with, whom I've helped when times
have been good with me. and bad with
them, and L really wish you could have
seen my meeting here with that man.
pointing to a painter who was busy
with brush and pot at the front door OF
the matron's quarters, "he could only
gasp, and say, Charley Wilson, as Tn
alive. Well, that beats all! But if you'd
come to me and told me how it was.
wouldn't have said anything outside
only you shouldn't have come in here
to this 1t is too much to hope that
some kind hand will be stretched Out
to help this remarkable woman to enc
her days in quiet and away from anxieJ
or that some gentle lady may find hel
a post after the storm and stress OF
more than 40 years of Isolation from
,, the friendship and the sympathy which
women hold so dear?