The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-17
OVERHEARD HAND IN HAND
5UICTDB OF TWO GIRLS FROM a
PHILADELPHIA E~ERRYBOAE.

Left Some Poetry and = Note Saying That
They Were UNIT for This World-smiled
Z and Chattsd M They wrote 1.-THE
Struggle Of One of Them TO Save Her IAfS
PHILADELPHIA. Aug. 16.-Two girls entered
tho %ferryhouse of the Reading Railway about 9
O'Clock this morning and sat down In the wait
ing room. People came and went and still the
two girls sat there. Every time William Steele.
a ticket collector. opened the big glass doors TO
letthe waiting crowds aboard q boat he glanced
at tho girls. Both were pretty and both wore
summer wash goods dresses.
At times they smiled and talked together. but
again they would become so grave that the coll
lector was puzzled. One OF the girls wore a pink
dress andthe other q gown Of brownish hue. The
one In pink took several sheets Of paper and
Il pencil from her pocketbook. and while the
other looked over her shoulder. wrote for some
time. Az she wrote she occasionally glanced
up into her friends face and smiled at her.
When the writer ceased she passed the paper
to the girl In brown. who took the pencil and
hurriedly wrote a line at the bottom Of tho
paper. All this Steele noted.
As the bell rang for the City Of Reading TO
leave for her 1918 O'Clock trip for Kaighn'S
Point avenue. the girls got up and went aboard.
When the boat approached tho slip at Camden
q deckhand went aft and opened the safety
gates to clamp the rudder. As he stopped over
and took hold Of the ring In the rudder he
heard some one say: ''s
Come on. Bess. here's our chance; let's 20
now" and something flashed by him.
Then he saw the two girls fall into the water
hand in hand. Presently two pale faces came
up above the surface OF the river. The swift
running tide carried the two white faces up
past the end OF Chestnut street wharf, and the
man lost sight of them. Efforts were made at
once to save them.
One. the girl in the pink. dress. could swim.
was trying to keep ahoat. The ferryboat
Beverly passed near her. and. beating the water
with her hands. she screamed out to Capt.
For Gods sake. save mel"
But he was unable to get near enough to her
her hands and went down. The Other, girlha
made no such struggle tor NE; but had sunk
R !HRe b Sedqrs WERE NeF eG nof rseoSe + sarenE'h gave out
Upon the, rail OF the ferryboat were found
two posketbooks, and In them were the note
The note was signed MAUD and Bessie" and
read as follows:
We can but own that life 10 vain,
" desert void OF peace.
We missed The goal We sought % gain.
We missed the measure Of the strain
That lulls the fever Of the brain
And bids earth's tumult cease.
Ourselves, alasl the theme ia poor.
Atheme but rich In fear.
We stand erect on LIES shore.
Aspectre not, within the door.
nOubelSbb buluOW eNeImOEOt
An exile lingering here.
MAUDE AND BRssIR.
We nnd We are utterly unht for this world, and will
Try another.
There were many clippings from various pa
pers in both po~cketbooks; One Of them.
Camden, n. j." says that the writer was born
in the country and was an innocent country
girl one year ago. Since then she had lived in
the city and had outgrown her country ways
and ideas. She was connected with a stringed
orchestra of twelve pieces and at HON there was
a small orchestra Of four PIECES. Music ap-
hold drudgery, the washing OF dishes and max
ing of beds. In addition to the clippings the
pocketbooks contained the measurements OF
the girls. q cigarette each, and q key. Nothing
was known OF the girls at the address given.
Late tonight G. Faust OF 721 Federal street.
Camden. recognized, the trinkets left on the
ferry,boat by one q the girl, as the property Of
that she was one OF the suicides,
He said that Bess left home last Sundayto
pay a visit to Miss Maud H%affingul. an intimate
friend at 423 Reed street. PhiladelPhia. and
PLANTATION for his sisters act.