The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-08-25
The Coral Button.
He Voc His Bet, but Lost His Love.

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II tell you Di Bathurst has the
keenest bathing suit Of any woman
| down hcre.'
"How do you know"
"Ah! l have exceptional opportuni-
ties. My wife bathes with her. It's
black corded silk, low necked, no
sleeves, doesn't come to the knees, fits
like a glove and has coral buttons"
HIN! Sounds rather fetching. l
must have q look at it myself"
Don't you wish you might, my boy?
Why, hi is a very dragon of prudery.
Never goes beyond the ladies' bathing
place. A squint through a telescope
is all you'll ever see of it."
"a woman doesn't wear a bathing
suit like that for the sake of other
women. 1 bet you Il flyer III have q
closer look at it."
"My dear Tom, don't want to alb
solutely rob you of your money"
II bet you a fiver-ten. If you like
and to prove that I've won your mon
ey fairly I'll bring you one Of those
buttons"
'Take him on. dear boy" said the
third man who was sitting in the
! smoking room Of the Seaside club.
Never lose Il chance Of turning an
honest penny when you can"
Every WELL" said the married man,
who knew so much. Ten IL you like,
but we must have a time limit"
Certainly" said Tom Bolton; with
in q week."
ut will come in very handy to buy
a present for the wife's birthday next
week." said the married man, making
a note in his pocketbook. And it
will teach you n lesson you want, my
boy"
But Tom only smiled %serenely as he
settled his tie in front Of the glass.
whichever way it goes, one Of you
fellows will have to stand me a bottle
of fizz over it," said the other man.
Diana was bathing. She plunged,
dived, rose, swan, fioated, trod water,
splashed and kicked like a vcritable
mermaid, only the pure blood ran more
joyously in her veins than did ever a
! cold blooded sea maiden's, and a pair
Of slim, white feet are a much prettier
conclusion to a beautiful body than a
tail, and golden t~resses. In the opinion
! Of humans. are preferable to the ortho-
dox sea green.
1t was. rough, for a smart south
wcster was coming up, and the rest Of
the women bathers bobbed timidly up
and down at the life line, but Diana
rose up on the comb of u v1av like a
south sea islander and laughed aloud
| with pure physical joy us she shook
the drops from her eyes and drew in
a full breath.
At the end Of the pier a mar was
bathing. She could see his dark head
at times above the crests of the waves.
Why, what was ne doing, splashing
about like that? lie lad gone under
and rose again. striking ont wildly.
"IYelp! help" rang frantically over
the water.
A thrill ran through her. She an
: swered to the call like a high melted
horse to the touch of a whip.
"-Ail right; I'm coming" she cried
ard cleft the water with swift, power
full strokes. She lost sight of him once
or twice, for the spray was flying high,
and cnt toward the pier it was ticklish
work. lest the current should carry
her against the piles, but she swan
], or CALAMITY.
All, there he was. almost spent,
laundering and gasping wildly.
Here, rest on my shoulders; I'll get
you to the steps," she ordered; but
danger seemed to have bereft him Of
his senses. for he clutched frantically
ut her. gripping her gown.
You'll drown is both If you do
that" she said imperiously, and man.
aged to relax his grasp.
She got him to the steps more easily
than she expected, and he hauled him.
self up, gasping for breath and look
ing at her with grateful eyes as she
stood beside him, the water dripping
from her black gown and running in
little streams over her noble shoulders
and strong white arms, the closely
clinging stuff showing every outline Of
her splendid shape.
"You are not hurt anywhere?" she
Iueried. quite forgetful of sex.
L u "a" ~ ~