10 Story Book, August 1938 — page 49: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

52 INTRIGUING STORIES, SPICED WITH PRETTY GIRLS! tled; his revenge must be had within the Walls of the church, at the very feet of Jesus; and it must logically fit Meeka’s sin. The days went by. try as he would he could not plan his re- yenge He could neither eat nor slecp; he grew thin, weak, ill. He avoided Meeka, Strange noises buzzed in his He was miserable; everybody. ears; strange pains shot through his head. He wondered if he were going mad. Per- haps; why not? And when at last he fell en his knees at the feet of Jesus to pray, to pray that he might be given the guidance of Heaven—or of Hell!—in smiting his hussy of a wife as the God of Wrath—or the Devil of Torment—would have it done; when he, Zingare, knelt at Meeka’s altar and called on Meeka’s Lord, he smiled grimly, wanly, and told himself that in very truth he was mad, mad as he could be! But as he knelt there, his lips mumbling blasphemous words rather than prayerful ones, his fevered gaze resting on the feet of Jesus, those divine feet the red of whose wounds had been kissed to white, the white to gray, he felt himself moved by a strange, compelling, madly seductive idea. It stole over him slowly, insinuatingly, then, burst- ing upon him like a storm, left him tremb- ling and wonder-struck. It was the miracu- lous thought he had been waiting for, the inspiration from Heaven—or from Hell— and with a wild cry and a wilder laugh he leaped up and rushed out of the church, his prayer answered. He went at once to Father Gordnik and told him that the beautiful statue of Jesus was getting dusty and soiled, that it should be covered with a black cloth as a mark of care and reverence, leaving only the feet exposed to receive the adoring kisses of the faithful. The priest was touched by this unexpected piety on the part of the uncon- verted Zingare and promised that the re- quest should be granted. The next day the statue, cross and all was covered with the black cloth; only the feet of Jesus showed. Zingare, watching from the confessional, noted Meeka’s sur- prise. She did not disturb the cloth, how- ever. Neither did Sarras. What mattered to them the rest of the Divine Form just so they still could kiss the feet? On the evening of the next day Zingare, excited, pale as death, breathing in spas- modic gasps, the livid light of maddness in his eyes, arrived at the church earlier than usual. In the pocket of his loose blouse were two knotted loops of stout hemp rope. He hurriedly took off his heavy shoes and socks in the confessional, then went to the Crucifix, climbed upon the chancel railing and slipped one of the hemp loops over Then he covered the whole thing again with the black cloth, this time even the feet of the figure. each of the arms of the cross. Creeping in bebwid the cloth, he leaned backward against the cold body of the sculptured God and slipped one power- ful arm through each of the loops on thé cross. He had calculated right; only his feet now showed. They—the real feet— rested @m the railing mearly where the The teet of the statue, higher up, were now covered with the cloth. Zingare waited, chuckling. He was sure at feet of Jesus had been. they would not know the difference least-see the difference, as the church was dark, with only the red-globed sanctuary lamp burning. If he could stand perfectly still, supporting himself by the loose loops through which he had thrust his arms, hold- ing the pase of the feet of Jesds ... § He could not hope to rival their marble of cold- ness, and feared that the warmth of his flesh might betray him. Yet his feet were feeling like lumps of ice. The plan of the madman was very sim- ple. He would receive the adoration of the lovers and then leap down and slay them (Continued to page 54) oO Comiclbooks.€© 3