Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-30
CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER VIII.
Social circles at West Point at long. rare
intervals ar, shocked by a scandal, and at
short ones, say every other summer, are
stirred by some kind of sensation, and
the Fairy Sisters were the sensation of
the year 20 They came in July; they went
in September and meanwhile they were
ION the GO they expressed it, from
morn till late at night. Physically they
were the lightest weights known to the hop
room. Mentally, their admirers in the
corps expressed it, either of them can
take a fail out of any woman at the Point,
and this especially true of the elder,
Mrs. Frank Garrison, whose husband was
on staff duty in the far west. Both were
sight, fragile, tiny blondes. with light blue
eyes. with lighter. fluffy hair, with exqui
site little hands and feet, with oval, pref
THY shaped faces. and the younger. the
maiden sister had bewitching mouth and
regular snowy dots Of teeth, of which she
vas justly proud Yet, as has been prey-
ousIy said Of Mrs. FRANK, while the gem
eIai effect was in the case OF each that of
an extremely pretty young girl, the elder
had no really good features; the younger
only that one They generally dressed very
much alike, in light fliGlsy gowns, and hats.
gloves and summer shoes all of dazzling
white-sOmetimes verging for change to
creamy hue-but cOiorS. except for SaShcS
or summer ShawlS, seemed banished from
their Wardrobes. They danced divinely,
said the corps. and preferred cadet part
nerS. TO the JOY of the battalion. They rode
feariessiy aad well. and had stunning hats
and habits. but few opportunities for dis
play thereof. They came tripping down the
path from the hotel every morning. fresh
and fair as daisies. in time for guard
mounting. and at any hour after that could
be found chatting with cadet friends at the
visitors tent, strollfrg arna-in-arm about
the shaded walks with some of their many
admirers until time to dress for the even
ing hop. where they never missed a dance.
and rainy days, or on those evenings
when there was neither hop nor band prac-
tice. they could be found each in some
dimly lighted. secluded nook about the
north or west piazza or on the steps lead
ing down to the Chain Battery Walk,
sometimes surrounded by squad of cadet
friends. but more frequently in murmured
tete-a-tete with only one cavalier In the
case of Mrs. Frank member Of the corps
seemed especially favored. She was just
the same To every one In the case of her
younger sister-Miss Terriss-there present.
" developed dashing young cadet captain
who scientifically conducted his cam
paign that he headed off almost all COM
petitors and was presently accorded the
lead under the universally accepted theory
that he had the little lady's heart
o6servant wonderland what women are
not ubscrvant of each other?-declared both
sisters TO be desperate fiirtS.
Society al the Point fruWned upon them
and. after the first formal call two.
dropped them entirely-a thing they never
seemed 10 resent in the least or even to no.
tice. They were never invited out to tea
or dinner on The post-solemn functions no.
where near so palat able the whispered
homage of stalwart young maHho0 d. "Nita
is Vet such a child she infinitely prefers
cadet society. and ! always did Ike boys"
explained Mrs Garrison Some rather gay
old boys used to run up Saturday after
Moons on the Mary Powell and spend Sun
day the Point-Wall street men of fifty
years and much iucre. Dear old friends of
fathers" Mrs Frank used to say land
We simply got to entertain them" En-
Jertaiued they certainly were, for her wit
and vivacity were acknowledged on every
side, and entertained rot only collectively,
but SeNeraily, for she always managed to
give each his hours confidential chat and
on the Sundays of their coming had no time
10 spare for cadet friends. Moreover she
them Monday morning when the Powell
was sighted coming along that glorious
reach from Polopels Island, and stood at
the edge OF the wharf waving her tny kerr
chief-even blowing fairy kisses to them as
they steamed away. No wonder Nita Ter
riss was frivolous and fiirtatious with such
an example. said society and its frowns
grew blacker when the White Sisters. the
Fairy SisteIs-the "Sylphites," came in
view But frowns and fulminations both
fell harmless from the armor of Mrs
Franks gay insoucance. Nita WINGED at
hrst. but soon rallied and bore the sights
or e permanent and semi permanent resi-
dents as laughingly as did her more ex-
perlenCed sister. Mia, ii was explained
was only just out of school, and Mrs Frank
was giving her this summer at the Point as
a great treat before taking her to the far
west, where the elder sister must soon 60
To join her husband. Everybody knew
Frank Garrison He had long been sta
toneu at the academy, and was a man uni
Eersally liked and respected-eyen very
highly regarded All of sudden the news
came back to the Point a few months after
MS return TO his regiment that he was ac-
tua!ly engaged to "W!tchie'' Terris Hot
on the heels of the rumor came the we'd
ding cardS-iieutenant Colonel and Mrs
Terriss request the honor of your pres
ence at the marriage of their daughter
Margaret to Lieut. Francis Key Garrison
tn nlted States Cavalry, at the Post
chapel. Fort Riley. Kansas November -
1s.4-all in Tiffany's best style. as were the
cards which accompanied the invitation
w hat a good thing for old Bill Ter
Mss said everybody who knew that
MS lnlpccuniosity was due To the eXactions
and extravasancies of his wife and wit
chic And what a bad thin; for Frank
Garrison. was the echo. His intimates
knew that he had put by through econo-
lars. the extent of his fortune outside Of
his pay She II make ducks and brakes of
1t in the six weeks honeymoon was tho
confident prophecy, and she probably did
Tor, despite the fact that he had so recently
reJoined the regiment, "Witchie' insisted on
midwinter run TO New Orleans Sayan-
nah and Washington, and bore her lord
but not her master. over the course in
triumph To student of human nature
and frailty. that union of faded and
somewhat shopworn maid of twenty-seven
to an ardent and vigorous young soldier
many moons her junior was easy to ac-
count for. One after another Witchie Ter
Kiss had had desperate affairs with half a
dozen fellows. older or younger in the
army and was known to have been en-