Evening star., 1932-05-16
TANGLED LIVES
~~>~~~~~~~~-~~-~ BY ANN FORESTER R~~-~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author OF
CHAPTER XXXIH.
THE MOON AND THE TIDE.
By ANN FORESTER :
Author Of Spite Wife"

~
n water and the smell OF brine
IA Above the wide, dim space oi
u the sea bent the open gray
bowl of the sky, streaked with
the silver fire of falling stars. A heady
moment without space and time
TITS a different planet!" Joyce heard
herself saying in an awed voice.
IT feel that way when come down
here" the man assented. Sort OF
clears ones mind. Gives one back ones
sense of perspective, you know. were
all so close to everyday life-like an
artist painting with his face too close
to the canvas. What we call reality is
only picture compared to that
joyce felt rather than saw Keith
wave a hand out toward the horizon.
His words were coolly philosophical,
but a slight tremble ran through them
as though his heart shook his voice
.Jovce felt that he was taking refuge In
speech. not daring to be silent alone with
her here in the wind and the night
Silence, she suddenly felt, would be
dangerous.
"Look-we're sailing right into the stars
-" She pointed ahead to the horl-
zon. The slight movement caused the
chiffon cloak to slip down her arm and
fall on Keith's own hand where it rest
ed on the rail. Soft and clinging -
like a spider web, thought the man.
What planet are We sailing for?''
he asked in a studiedly light tone.
THAT bright star, of course-the
brightest of all"
His eyes brushed her face. you
picked Venus, goddess of love. -
A sweet and dangerous sense OF his
nearneSs throbbing through her. she
felt that her light laugh was too nigh
pitched for naturalneSs.
IT picked the largest and brightest
cne. :. Suppose we landed on it in
some miraculous fashion ike the
hero of a Jules Verne story"
"I remember a book read as boy
>. about visitor from Mars. He told
of the inhabitants of Venus-pictured
it as a dim, marshy twilight sort OF
country, peopled by a race OF gentle
giants. used to play at acting out
the book with my cousin. We'd be Mar
tians for days at time-unsuspecte
be any one else, of course-
Keith broke off abruptly, as though
memory rushed down upon him. Mem
cry too bitter-sWeet to be spoken OF
even casually.
Then the silence was upon them, the
silence which Joyce had dreaded. The
fimsy barrier of their words was crum-
bling. Crumbling, too, the sense OF ease
between them-the light friendliness.
The old feeling half fascination, half
dread, was swaying her. The thought
of that other life-up there on the salon
deck, that safe, trivial life, encroached
breaking up the solitary beauty of the
night. This was madneSs-to come
away with him like thisl Feaful anger
shook her she was like those other
women-he was making conquest OF
her. Speak! she commanded herself
Say something cool and graceful-put
him in his place and then stroll back
TO the world where she belonged. =.
She remained limp leaning on the
rail and silence like a dark pool grew
between them.
Rush of wind and water. Dark water
swirling past the bow, down there be-
low her own clasped hands on the rail
Dark water-lifting to the sky o.. the
moon calling the tide. Her heart E.
lifting on deep, strong tide which she
could not CONTROLLER blood-Surging
to this man. =.
Even though she was staring straight
ahead, Joyce knew that Keith was
watching her. And as though she saw
herself through his eyes, she was some
how aware of the wind sweeping her
hair back so that the cameo line of her
profile was blocked against the night.
This silence between them was pro-
1onged beyond safe limits :. she was
trembling. Say something-any
thingl
She lifted her head sharply and her
startled eyes found his face much
nearer than she had thought. Dim,
white face i. dark, intent eyes.
A lightning play of emotion between
them, then all of her barriers went
down
She heard what sounded like sob
as he gathered her in his arms, and
only afterward did she realize it was
her own voice.
The night was tangle of black and
silver fire :. . sweet high fire sweeping
through her as his mouth crushed on
her own.
Something avid in that first kiss p. . {.
something of the frantic way man
dying of thirst would gulp water. After
q moment he held her face slightly
away to watch her Her eyes were
closed, the lashes making dark shadows
on her cheeks. He saw the sweet, tor
tured line of her mouth and again he
felt that half-cruel sense of power leap
in his heart.
Look at mel" he ordered.
Her lashes lifted. Her eyes looked up
into his own, sweet, mysterious in this
dim light. Then he saw that they were
bright with tears and kissed her again.
She clung to him, tense and des-
perate. Swept away from her moorings
of pride and antagonism, her heart lift
ing as high and as surely as the moon
draws the tide.
Tried to hate me-didn't you? And
] tried to hate you. I'm not sure
don't yet. -. D.. Do you hate me now,
Joyce?"
Keith's low voice beat through her as
the music had beat through her when
they danced. Answer me, Joyce"
"Oh don't know :. don't
know. ="
I've fought you. Joyce. Since the
first time laid eyes on yau Fought
the thought of you like tht devil. I've
felt the antagonism between us. Your
Willard my will clashing, like a
sword duel. You've hated me-haven't
you? Haven't you?"
Jim Keith felt the slight nod of her
head.
do you hate me now?" Close against
her cheek.
Il love you. oh, yes. =. God!
love you. :" low, intense voice
which she did not recognize as her
own. Her arm stole around his neck,
drew his lips hard on her own and for
a long moment they were motionless in
the rush of wind and water.
A star -streaked world which throbbed
to the pounding Of her own heart. d.
l.