The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-13
She is Very Young and Not AZ
All Bad Looking.
But VERY BADLY DRESSED
TOLD A PITIFUL STORY OF LOVE
AND DESBRTION.
THEN DIDN'T SEEM TO CAKE
Said She Had Been Staying IN oa"s
bury But Her Home is in new
York and She is on 1e'
Way Home.

Way Home.
Che os voung-one could see that at a
glance. but one would have had 10 look
honaatb good deal Of dirt and smut
to have seen that she was pretty.
Rut she was pretty-if one may call
a smooth. round, well formed face, with
a saucy little nose and snappy blue eyes
pretty, and not take into account the
look of WEAKNESS in those eyes and the
marks of dissipation upon the face.
Then her hair was tousled and mat
ted about her head, covered with
shabby, weather-beaten sailor hat. her
dress was hardly decent, consisting as 1t
did of torn calico wrapper ana an
apron that had once been white. Though
small of stature, she was strong ana
muscular-just as any tramp in good
standing with the "perfesh' should be.
And that's just what she was-a female
hobo-and up to all the latest improved
methods in traInpology, I'll tell you. She
could swear like a trooper, throw rocks
at small boys with unerring aim, beg like
a pious pilgrim ana climb cars and ride
blind baggage in the most approved
style.
1t was $50 o'clock Saturday morning
when she struck town. She came in on
train No 402 (the northbound yestibule)
and left at noon yesterday on Trilhy
excursion for Garner and points South
She said she was used to walk ng and
didn't mind it a bit if she couldn't ride.
There was a freight just about ready
to pull out in her dirA ton and / sug
gested that she jump that. She stopped
short, elevated her little nose and looked
at me in disdain and astonishment.
Not on your life" said she. Say here,
what yer tryin' ter give Teller. 1 don't
ride freights, SIR nor local passenger
trains-nothing short of vestibule.
See?"
Then walking away in mock grand
style she turned and said:
Say here, young Teller, go chase yer
SELF" And she was gone, this 16-year-
old hobo.
When the vestibule rolled into Union
depot yesterday morning at 2:30, gate
keeper Pool, who had gone out to change
the switch, saw upon the rear platform
a dark heap. In the dim light he saw
it was tramp asleep. This being moth
ing unusual he gave the hobo a severe tug
and shaking. Then he discovered that it
was a woman, as she jumped upon the
ground.
She readily told him her story or
rather story. She said her name was
May Lucas; she was 16 years old; she
was just from Salisbury where she had
relatives, but her native home was i'm
the State of New York and she was now
trying to make her way back there.
By this time the train had gone and
as she stood there gazing after it, Mr..
Pool noticed that she had a bundle in her
hand. He asked what it was.
MY baby's Dress" she said.
Examination proved the truth of her
statement.
""And where is your baby?' she was
asked.
Il don't know she replied helplessly.
my fellow was on the train with me,
and he had it. don't know where he
is now. We got ON the train about y
O'Clock and after awhile went to sleep.
I ran away from home with him. My
baby is two months Old
This may or may not be true: more
likely it is not true. At any rate she
didn't seem later to care much IL she
had lost her fellow, baby and all. ene
didn't make any further inquiry and
when she left this city she went In ex-
actly an opposite direction from that IN
which she had come.
From the train she was taken TO tne
Union depot and there allowed to remain
until day. She slept YEARLY, heavily
.,,non the seats, her head resting upon
the baby clothes. When daylight dawn
ed she made her way out into the Park,
then ike the tramp she was she drifted
back toward the railroad. AT o'clock
she was in the freight yard again talking
with the trainmen, and half an hour later
she was begging food at a Negro restau-
rant.
Here she was recognized by woman,
who says she came through here about
two months ago and stopped there then
and asked for food. She told her at that
time that she was just from New York
her home-and ON her way to Salisbury
where she had relatives. The negro wo-
man says she was then better dressed
than on yesterday, and showed her
large roll of money.
While here yesterday she made IN
~auiries as to the distance to Durham
Henderson and Goldsboro. and then
about noon, started afoot toward the
latter place.
1t was indeed sad to see one OF her agf
and sex so degraded and abandoned.