the spotless bicycle, chapter 3: threatening skies

by rhoda penmarq

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in the morning iphelia and her friends were served an old fashioned breakfast of ham, bacon, eggs, sausage, grits, flapjacks, oysters, rattlesnake steaks, strawberry and blackberry jam, biscuits, gravy, home fries, chicken wings, frogs legs, pork rinds, fried possum, greens, okra, coffee, orange juice, buttermilk, corn muffins, apple fritters and much else besides but the pleasure of this repast was somewhat offset by the ill grace with which it was served as they were taking coffee on the wide verandah, iphelia was asked somewhat tartly when, but not how, they expected to take their leave iphelia inquired politely as to the possibility of a stagecoach coming by but was answered only with a laugh from mrs crunch iphelia looked up at the sky and allowed that they might walk home .... no sooner had she uttered these words than the skies began to darken ominously just then mister moseby appeared with his pipe he allowed as how he would be going to town on the next day and could give iphelia and her friends a ride through the swamp on his buckboard the housekeeper made little attempt to hide her disgust at the prospect of her guests staying another day and night iphelia, who had been brought up to regard graciousness and hospitality as the twin pillars of civilization was somewhat embarrassed on her account but attempted to mollify her by offering her and her friends services in whatever capacity mrs crunch would like to use them although she well knew how scandalized her cousins would be if they knew she was volunteering to act as little more than a servant and that they might well disown her if word ever reached them mrs crunch accepted the offer with alacrity but they remained on the verandah sipping their coffee as the morning wore on and the skies continued to darken time seemed to stand still a phenomenon iphelia was thoroughly familiar with mister moseby noticed a zombie on the outskirts of the clearing chapter 4: a sobering misadventure