LOS ANGELES, Jan. 25 – Three slender, waif-like young women maintain a vigil daily outside the gray Hall of Justice in Los Angeles, dreaming aloud of the day when Charles Manson walks out, dons his vest of many colors and leads them to the desert.

The girls await the verdict being pondered by a jury — whether Manson and three other women followers are guilty of murder-conspiracy in the slayings of actress Sharon Tate and six others. The jury was in recess Sunday and will resume deliberations Monday.

The vigil-keepers, who once wandered with Manson’s nomadic hippie-style family, say the verdict doesn’t really matter.

“We know we’re going to the desert,” says blonde Sandra Good, 26. “Whatever happens we’ll all go to the desert. Charlie too.”

In September 1969, a month after the slayings, Manson moved his tribe to an outpost in the desert near Death Valley. Manson was arrested there, along with several followers.

Miss Good, pert and petite with luminous blue eyes, has been camped at Temple Street and Broadway since September — three months after Manson’s trial began in the Hall of Justice. In succeeding months, the crowd of ragged Manson followers grew to a dozen. Arrested for sleeping out on the corner, they returned later in a minibus that is used as a communal dormitory.

Now many of the faithful have disappeared — jailed on assorted charges or gone in search of a new commune.

Left are Miss Good, Brenda McCann, 19, an attractive brunette, and Kitty Lutesinger, 19, a pretty redhead. All bear the Manson family symbol — a letter “X” carved in their foreheads. Miss Good says she did hers with a red hot screwdriver.

They spend the days kneeling on the corner, telling curious passersby, “We’re waiting for Charlie to get out of jail.”

Miss Good says the kneeling position is one of humility, and adds, “We’ve experienced all material things this society has to offer. Now we’re giving it up … We’re Xed out of the society completely.”

How do the girls survive? “People give us things,” is all they will say about how they got the minibus, gasoline, food, and change to put in the parking meter. Their clothes are gay, colorful designs — velvet Edwardian blouses, velour breeches, satin patchwork mini-dresses made from fabric “people give us.”

Brenda, they say, is the seamstress of the group, the girl of “magic fingers.” She has taught the others to sew well for a purpose — to embellish “Charlie’s vest.”

The vest was a legend among members of the family when headquarters was the suburban Spahn movie ranch. As the tale went, Manson one day gave an old vest to girl followers telling them to “fix it up.” They began embroidering on it four years ago and are still at it.

“It’s our love,” says Miss Good. “Sadie and Katie and Leslie and everybody have worked on it.” she says, referring to the three women on trial with Manson.

“Look closely and you’ll see millions of patterns — animal faces, castles, elves, giants, devils, babies and women.”

The vest reflects the family philosophy, says Miss Good, who shows a letter written by jailed member Lynne Fromme, 21.

“That’s all women want,” it says, “to do something for somebody for the pure love of love. The vest became such a thing for us all. .. I see us all look up from our patches, spark-eyed and knowing that the stitches are the soul weaving the tapestry of the world’s karma.”

By LINDA DEUTSCH