Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-05-11
CHAPTER VII.

Social circles at West Point at long,
rare intervals are shocked by a scandal,
and at short ones, say every other sum
mer-arc stirred by some kind OF
sensation, and the Fairy Sisters were
the sensation of the year 81. They
came in July; they went i'm September,
and meanwhile they were ION the go''
as they expressed it, from morn till
late at night. Physically they were
the lightCst weights known TO the hop
room. Mentally, as their admirers in
the corps expressed il, either OF them
can take fail out Of any woman at the
Point" and this was especially true of
the elder Mrs. Frank Garrison
whose husband was ON staff duty in
the far west. Both were slight, fragile,
tiny blondes with light blue eyes. with
lighter, fluffy hair, with exquisite lit
tie hands and feet, with oval, prettily
shaped faces, and the younger, the
maiden sister, had a bcWitching mouth
and regular, snowy dots on tecih OF
which she was justly proud. Yet, as
has been previously said of Mrs. Frank,
while the general effect was i'm 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 himsy gowns and hats,
| gloves and summer shoes all of daz-
| cling white-sometimes yerging for a
change TO creamy hue-but colors,
| except for sashes and summer shawls,
/ seemed banished from their wardrobes.
/ They danced diyinely, said the corps,
and preferred cadet partners, TO the
| Joy Of the battalion. They rode fear
/ lessly and well. and had stunning hats
and habits, but few opportunities for
! display 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 chat
| ting with cadet friends at the visitors
! tent strolling arm in arm about the
shaded walks with some of their many
admirers until time TO dress for the
evening hop, where they never missed
dance and on rainy days, or on those
evenings, when there was neither hop
nor band practice, they could be found,
each i'm some dimly lighted, secluded
nook about the north or west piazza
or ON the steps leading down TO the
Chain Battery Walk, sometimes sur
rounded 10y a squad of cadet friends,
but more frequently in murmurcd
tete-a-tete with only one cavalier. In
the case of Mrs. Frank no member OF
the corps seemed especially favored.
She was just the same TO every one.
In the case of her younger sister-Miss
Terriss-thcre presently developed a
dashiug young cadet captain who 50
scientifically conducted his campaign
that he headed oil almost all compel
itors and was presently accorded the
lead under the universally accepted
theory that he had won the little lady's
heart. Obseryant Women-and what
women are not obseryant-of each
other declared both sisters TO be des-
perate flirts. Society at the Point
frowned upon them and, after the first
formal call or two, dropped them en-
tirely-a thing they never seemed TO
resent in the least, or even 10 notice.
! They were never invited out to tea or
dinner on the post-solemn functions
nowhere near so palatable as the whis-
pered homage of stalwart young man
hood. "Nta is yet such a child she
infinitely prefers cadet society, and
always did like boys" explained Mrs.
Garrison. Some rather gay old boys
used TO run up Saturday afternoons
on the Mary Powell and spend Sunday
| ., Do A.n of I'D
years and much lucre. Dear old
friends of fathers Mrs. Frank used
TO say, and I've simply got TO enter
tain them" Entertained they GER
tainly were, for her Wit and yiyatity
were acknowledged on every side, and
entertained not only collectively, but
severally, for She always managed TO
! give each his hours confidential chat,
and on the Sundays of their coming
had no time to spare for cadet friends.
! Moreover. she always drove down in
the big bus with them Monday morn
/ ing when the Powell was sighted COM
! ing along that glorious reach from
! Polopcls island and stood at the edge
Of the wharf waving her tiny kcrchief
even blowing fairy kisses 10 them
as they steamed away. No wonder
Mia Terriss was frivolous and 1irta-
tious with such an example, said So
ciety, and its frowns grew blacker
when the White Sisters, the Fairy
Sisters-the "Sylphitcs," came in view.
! But frowns and fulminations both fell
| harmless from the armor of Mrs.
Franks gay insouciance. Mia WINGED
at first, but soon rallied and bore the
Sights of the permanent and semi
permanent residents as laughingly as
did her more experienced sister. Mia,
it 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 90
TO join her husband. Every body knew
Frank Garrison. lie had long been
stationed at the academy and was a
man universally liked and respected-I