Hattie Big Sky

This chapter begins with a clipping from the Arlington News about the Spanish influenza in Vida. Later, Chase comes by to tell her that he and Karl are going to pick up new parts for their tractor. The next day, Hattie goes to see Perilee. As she opens the door, she finds Perilee, Mattie, Fern, and Lottie lying feverish on the floor. Hattie takes Lottie out of her sweaty clothes. Then, she does the same with Mattie and Fern. Hattie cares for them for the next few days. As they sleep, Hattie sits down for a moment and falls asleep. She jerks awake as Mattie calls out for her mother. Hattie rocks Mattie, then realizes that the sound of her breathing has stopped. She shakes Mattie to wake her up but realizes that it is no use. Fern calls for her, then Lottie cries, and Hattie realizes that she must help them. Hattie continues caring for Perilee, but she does not tell her about Mattie.

The next day, Leafie arrives, and Hattie tells her about Mattie, saying that she told Perilee that morning. Hattie hears a horse riding up, and she goes out to meet Karl and Chase. She tells them that the rest of the family has been sick, so they need to stay away. Then she tells them that Mattie has died. The next day, Karl returns with a coffin for Mattie. Karl, Leafie, and Chase go out to bury her since Perilee is still too sick. At the funeral, Hattie prays aloud, asking for God to take care of Mattie and to help them adapt to a life without her. Hattie holds Chase as Karl buries Mattie, and she wonders how she will ever move on from the loss. Hattie learns that Mrs. Martin died as well.

The chapter begins with an excerpt from the Arlington News as Hattie describes her journey in learning how to quilt. Despite her skills, Hattie describes the hardship of not being able to find money to pay her bills, which means she will lose her claim. Hattie thinks about how she may have found the strength to continue before, but she feels defeated after Mattie’s death. She wonders if she will ever have a home to call her own or if she will always be forced to drift between places. Rooster Jim tells Hattie that the war is over, and the troops will be coming home. Despite her relief at Charlie’s return, she finds it hard to feel happiness. Jim tells her that she worked hard to make her claim work and that she should be proud of herself. Hattie sees Traft later and tells him that she is sorry about his mother. Traft says that he is happy that he will be done with the Council of Defense and that he can be a rancher again. When Hattie asks to sell her land to Traft, he refuses. He says that he will get her land when the county takes it from her.

Hattie visits Perilee to tell her that she lost her claim. Perilee tells her that they are going to sell the land and move. Perilee says that Karl’s cousin lives in Seattle and told him that they have jobs at a machine shop. Perilee says that everything in the house reminds her of Mattie and that she cannot stand it anymore. Perilee hugs Hattie and says that she will always be a sister to her, no matter how far they live away from each other.

On the day that the Muellers leave, Hattie gives Perilee the quilt she finished, telling her that she named the new pattern “Mattie’s Magic.” Hattie used blue chambray in the pattern to mimic the Montana sky. Perilee notices the images that Hattie stitched are from their life together, and she hugs the quilt to herself. Karl tells them that it is time to go, and Perilee hugs Hattie, telling her that they will see her soon. Karl tells her to visit them in Seattle, and they get in their car and drive away.

Hattie packs up her belongings in Uncle Chester’s trunk. Hattie answered an advertisement in the paper in Great Falls, requesting a chambermaid at a boarding house. Jim arrives to help Hattie with her trunk to the train station. He gives her the mail, and Hattie sees three different letters from Charlie, which she reads. In the last letter, Charlie tells her that he made it through the war and that after he sees his family, he wants to visit her in Montana. He writes that he has feelings for Hattie and that he wants to know if she feels the same way about him.

Hattie writes a letter to Charlie, telling him to visit Mr. Ebgard when he gets to Wolf Point. She says that he should visit her home if Traft has not taken it down yet. She tells him that she does not know how to answer his question about her feelings for him, but she hopes that he will stop in Great Falls, and they can see how they feel about each other after they have dinner together.

The job in Great Falls does not allow pets, so Hattie gives Mr. Whiskers to Leafie when she says goodbye. Hattie goes to the station by herself because she wants to leave Vida the same way she arrived. Hattie looks at the newest letter from Charlie, where he tells her that he knows that Boeing is looking for mechanics in Seattle and that he wonders if they will both end up near Perilee. Hattie thinks about how much has happened in one year. She looks at Perilee’s letter, where she notes that there may be room for another woman reporter at the Seattle Times, and Hattie thinks that she would like to do that someday. Hattie looks out at the Montana sky and thinks about how she did end up finding a home with the people that she loved. She looks west and prepares herself for the next chapter of her life.