Felker broke the silence. "Should we leave some money to pay for all the food and stuff?" "No," she said. "There are rules about hospitality. Some time I’ll give Mattie a present." "Like you did Wendell?" "Yes." "I know this is kind of an odd question, but what would happen if we just stayed here? Didn’t go on to another place?" "Eventually something would happen. You’d get sick and have to go to a hospital, or maybe the government agent here would notice you and start making quiet inquiries, or you’d get a speeding ticket." She smiled sadly. "We’ve got to get you settled." There was a knock on the door. Jane went to open it, and she saw Carlton the Mohawk on the porch. Felker stood up and took their bags out to the truck. They drove to Mattie’s farmhouse, and Jane ran inside. Mattie was at her stove, and a soap opera was on the television set. "Hi, Janie," she said. "Leaving us so soon?" "Yes." Mattie came up and gave her a big hug. Jane could smell chicken feathers and flour and fresh air somehow caught in the big, soft apron during the early morning chores.
