The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-04-03
CHAPTER VIII.

Social circles at West Point at long.
rare intervals are shocked by a scandal,
and at short ones, say every other sum-
mer-are stirred by some kind of
/ sensation, and the Fairy Sisters" were
] the sensation of the year 81. They
came in July; they went in September,
and meanwhile they were ION the go"
as they expressed ii, from morn till
/ late at night. Physically they were
/ the ightest weights known to the hop
room. Mentally, as their admirers in
the corps expressed it, ''either of them
/ can take fall out OF any woman at the
Point" and this was especially true of
/ the elder-Alrs. 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 bewitching mouth
and regular, snowy dots of teeth of
which she was justly proud. Yet, as
has been previously said of Mrs. Frank,
while the general 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, fiimsy gowns and hats,
gloves and summer shoes all of daz-
cling white-sometimes verging for a
change to q creamy hue-but coiors,
except for sashes and summer shawls,
| seemed banished from their wardrobes.
They danced divinely, said the corps,
and preferred cadet partners, 10 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. II
time for guard mounting, and at am
hour after that could be found chat
| ting with cadet friends at the visitors
tent, strOlling arm in arm about the
sh1ded walks with some of their many
admirers until time TO dress for the
evening hop, where they never missed
a dance, and on rainy days, or on those
evenings. when there was neither hop
nor band practice, they could be found,
each in 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 by a squad of cadet friends,
but more frequently in murmured
tete-a-tete with only one cavalier. In
| the case OF Mrs. Frank no member of
! the corps seemed especially favored.
She VAS jqststhe same to every one.
In thsse5ke y Cher younger sister-Miss
TerrHSs-theE4 presently developed a
dashing yoS4g cadet captain who so
scientifically conducted his campaign
/ that he headed off almost all compet-
itOrs and was presently accorded the
| lead under the universally accepted
! theory that he had won the little lady's
| heart. Observant wonderland what
women are not observant-of each
OtheF?-declared both sisters to be des-
| perate fiirts. 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 to notice.
| They were never invited out to tea or
dinner on the pOst-solemn functions
nowhere near so palatable as the wills
pered homage of stalwart young man
hood. Mia is yet such a child she
infinitely prefers cadet society, and I
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
at the POint-Wall street men of 50
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 vivacity
were acknowledged on every side. and
entertained not only collectively, but
severally, for she always managed 10
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
POlOpel's island and stood at the edge
of the wharf waving her tiny kerchief
even blowing fairy kisses 10 them
as they steamed away. No wonder
Mia Terriss was frivolous and fiirta-
tiOus with such an example. said So
ciety. and its frowns grew blacker
rahen the White Sisters. The Fairy
Sisters-the 'Sylphites." came in view
But frOwns and Nominations both fell
harmless from the aTmor 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 jAsf out Of
school and Mrs Frank was giving her
this summer at the Point as a great
treat before taking her 10 The far west. !
where the elder sister must soon 60
10 join her husband. Everybody knew
Prank Garrison. lie had Jong been