To Killa Mocingbied @& 255 hing Jom said Ateus was showing the jury that had nothing to hide. jere you acquainted with Mayella Vi Violet Ewell?” : sd Atticus. fes suh, | hac ‘to pass her place goin’ toand from the 19 THOMAS ROBINSON REACHED aiouid, 1am, fingers under his left arm and lifted it. He guided arm to the Bible and his rubber-like left hand sou, contact with the black binding. As he raised hi hand, the useless one slipped off the Bible and prety steady for him all year round, e's gota ot san trees’n things.” ‘work. Is there any other way to go?” io sub, rione’s I know of,” mm, did she ever speak to you?” ‘Why, yes su, T'd tip m’hat when I'd go by, and one lyse asked ine to come inside the fence and bust up a iffarobe for her.” When aid. she ask you © ove up. the—the Stepped into the witness chair. Atticus very quickly is duced him to tell us: pd vit ele nba aol au a “Did he succeed?” “Yes suh, a little, not enough to hurt. You see, ‘Tom moved his left shoulder. “Yes.” said Atticus. “You were both convicted?” “Yes suh, [had to serve ‘cause I couldn't pay the (Other fellow paid his'n.” Dill leaned across me and asked Jem what Atti I, won't I?" an’ I said, “No ma'am, there ain't no ‘Then I went home, Mr. Finch, that was way last fay over 8 year ago." ‘you ever go on the place again?” ell, went lots of times.” _ You say you had to pass the Ewell place to get to and.256 OR Hanver Les To Killa Mocknghird CR 257 Judge Taylor instinctively reached for his gavel, Mr. Dolphus Raymond, who preferred the com- Jet his hand fall. The murmur below us died without help. 1 she wasn’t from a fine old family. Nobody said, ‘Under what circumstances?” “That's just their way,” about the Ewells. Maycomb. “Please, suh?” gave them Christmas baskets, welfare money, and “Why did you go inside the fence lots of times’ the back of its hand. Tom Robinson was probably the ‘Tom Robinson's forehead relaxed. “She'd call me suh, Seemed like every time I passed by yonder she have some little somethin’ for me to do—choppin’ lin’, ton’ water for her. She walered them red flow every day—" “Were you paid for your services?” ¢ “No suhy not after she offered me a nickel the fi time. I was glad to do it, Mr. Ewell didn’t seem to her none, and neither did the chillun, and 1 knowed she didn’t have no nickels to spare” “Where were the other children?” “They was always around, all over the place. They watch me work, some of em, some of *em’d set window!" ‘ “Would Miss Mayella talk to you?” “Yes sir, she talked to me.” ‘As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneli person in the world. She was even lonelier than Bi Radley, who had not been out of the house in twenty- five years. When Atticus asked had she any fri she seemed not to know what he meant, then | thought he was making fun of her, She was as sad, thought, as what Jem called a mixed child: white pec ple wouldn't have anything to do with her because lived among pigs; Negroes wouldn’t have anything do with her because she was white. She coulda’t live at him as if he were dirt beneath her feet. ‘Did you ever,” Atticus internipted my meditations, ‘any time, go on the Ewell propeny—dia you ever set foot on the Ewell property without an express invitation fromone of them?” ‘No sh, Mr. Finch, | never did. T wouldn't do that, ius sotetimes said that one Way tell whether a ess was ying or telling the truth was to listen rather than watch: I applied his test—Tom denied it three times, breath, but quietly, with no hint of whining in ce, and I found myself believing him in spite of his protesting too much, He seemed to be a respectable and a respectable Negro would never go up into ‘body's yard of his own volition. “Tom, what happened to yoo on te evening of No- ber twenty-fist of last year?” ‘Below us, the spectators drew a collective breath and © “Me. Finch," he said, “I was goin’ home as usual that pany Of Negroes, because she didn’t own a riverbank“258 Hane Loe To Kila Mockgbinl CS 259 cevenin', an’ when I passed the Ewell place Miss Mayell " she says oh yes I could, an' Task her what, and see none, and she says, ‘Naw, I got somethin’ for you do in the house. Th’ old door’s off its hinges an’ ‘comin’ on pretty. ‘Mayella? She said she sho’ had. Well, I went up the step as the room, So T done what she told me, an’ I was reachin’ when the next thing T knows she—she'd abed me round the legs, grabbed me round th’ legs, Finch. She scaréd me so bad I hopped down an’ the chair over—that was the only thing, only fur- tre, ‘strbed in that room, MF. Finch, when I left it 1 ‘swear "fore God.” “What happened after you tumed the chair over?” ‘Tom Robinson had come (o a dead stop. He glanced Altious, then athe jury, then at Mr. Underwood siting 386 the room, “Tom, you're sworn to tell the ue ‘truth. Will you itccome to me that there weren't a chile on the place, a one of “em, and I said Miss Mayella, where the Tun?” ‘Tom's black velvet skin had begun to shine, and be ran his hand over his face. “1 say where the chillin?” be continued, “an! she say ‘Tom's discomfort was not from the uy, “What “Mc. Finch, 1 got down offa that chair an’ tuned id you say then, Tom?” asked Atticus. 5 around an’ she sorta jumped on me,” “Jumped on you? Violently?” suh, she—she hugged me. She hugged me round think she understood wh: - ‘This time Judge Taylor's gavel came down with a it was smart of her to save lke i, and as it did the overhead lights went on in the treat ‘em.” courtroom. Darkness had not come, but the afternoon “Lunderstand you, Tom. Go on," said Anions sun had Jeft the windows. Judge Taylor quickly restored “Well, I said I best be goin’, I couldn't do nothin’ fo hee260 Hanver Lee “Then what did she do?” ‘ ; ‘The witness swallowed hard. “She reached up kissed me ‘side of.th’ face. She says she never kissed grown man before an’ she might as well Kiss a nigger She says what her papa do to her don’t count. She says, ‘Kiss me back, nigger’ I say Miss Mayella lemme outa here an’ tried to nin but she got her back to the door an’ Tida had to push her, [didn’t wanta harm her, Mr. Finch, ‘an’ I say lemme pass, but just when T say it Mr. Ewel ‘yonder hollered through th’ window.” “What did he say ‘Tom Robinson swallowed again, and his eyes Then you ren?” - ened, Somethin’ not fittin’ fo say—not fittin’ for these sTsho! did, sah” folks’n chillun to hear—" “Why did you ron? “What did he say, Tom? You rnust tell the jury what et pas seared sib? he said” “Why were you scared?” ‘Tom Robinson shut his eyes tight, “He: says you god Deno ve ee lee Gane ‘damn whore, TIL kill ya.” - ToKilla Mockingbird GS 261 ‘white woman under any circumstances and expect to live long, so he took the first opportunity to run-—a sure of guilt. igo back once more to Mr. Evell” said Aticus, anything to you?” hing, sub. He migha said Somethin’ but ‘weren't there—” "That do? Atos cut in sharply. “What you did hear, who was he talking to?” . Finch, he were talkin’ and lookin’ at Miss May. “Then what happened?” i lown. Mr. Gilmer was making his way to but before he got there Mr. Link Deas and announced: “Tom, did you rape Mayella Ewell?” just want the whole lot of you to know one thing “did not, suh.” 10W. That boy's worked for me eight years an’ I “Did you harm her in any way?” 7 'thad a speck o’tronble outa him. Not a speck?” “T did not, sub.” “Did you resist her advances?” “Mr. Finch, I tried. I tried to ‘thout bein’ ugly to her. I didn’t wanta be ugly, I didn’t wanta pash her or nothin’? It occurred to me that in their own way, Tom Robin- sson’s manners were as good as Atticus’s. Until my father explained it to me Tater, I did not understand the subtlety. ‘of Tom's predicament: he would not have dared strike Judge Taylor was wide awake pink in the face. His speech ‘was miraculously unimpaired by his cigar. “Link Deas," ‘he yelled, “if you have anything you want to say you can ‘it under oath and at the proper time, but until then judge Taylor looked daggers at Atticus, as if dar-262 G Hanver Leo Atticus had ducked his head Te Kile Moinghid 263 binson, you're pretty good at busting up chitfa: ‘Strong enough to choke the breath out of a woman sling her to the floor?” rnever done that, sub.” ever did anything about Jem shook his head. “It “reckon so, sub.” ons eye on ber along time, saan t you, boy? teporter 16 expunge anything Lue lappened to have written down after Mr. Finch if you were a nigger like me you'd be scared too, and told ‘hat was mighty generous of you, you had chores at me after your regular work, didn't you?” “You were given ‘hy days once for diordeny duct, Robinson?” asked Mr. Gilmer. “Yes sub.” “What'd the nigger look like when you got through with him?” “Hee beat me, Mr. Gilmer.” “Yes, but you were convicted, weren't you?” res” Tom Robinson ‘hesitated, searching for an answer. ‘ooked like she didn’t have nobody to help her, like I “Yes sub, Igotthinty days?” T knew that Mr. Gilmer would sincerely tell the jury that anyone who was convicted of disorderly conduct could easily have had it in his heart to take advantage of ‘Mayella Ewell, that was the only reason he cared. Rea sons like that helped. ‘Me. Gilmer smiled grimly at the jury, “You're a mighty ‘good fellow, it seems—did all this for not one penny”264 GX Hanven Lee ‘To Killa Mockinghed CR 265 /ou had a clear conscience, why were you scared?” cI says before, it weren't safe for any nigger to a fix—you testified that you were. ‘Were you so scared that she'd hurt big buck like you?” ‘ scared I'd be in cour, just like Tam now? ‘Scared of arrest, scared you'd Jaye to fare op to fortably in the chair. But the damage was done. Below 1us, nobody liked Tom Robinson's answer. Mr. Gilmer paused a long time to let it sink in. i “Now you went by the house as usual, last November twenty-first,” he said, “and she asked you to come in and ‘bust up a chiffarobe?” “No suh” as | heard of Mr. Gilmer’s cross- examination, because Jem made me take Dill out. For some fi % quietly at first, then his sobs were heard by several people in the balcony. Jem said if I didn't 20 with him he'd make me, the bottom of the stairs. il se pl hse tgs 5 we rn down te in’t Mr. Ewell run you off the place, boy?” “No suh, [don't think he did.” “Don’t think, what do you mean?” “[ mean I dido't stay long enough for him to run me off” “You're very candid about this, why did you run 50, “{ says Iwas scared, sub.”266 CR Hanven Lee “Dill, that's his job. Why, if we didn’t have pros- well, we couldn't have defense atorneys, 1 ecu reckon” ‘Dill exhaled patiently. “T know all that, Seout. It was the way he sid it made me sik, plain sick.” “Hie didn’t act that way wheo— “Dill, those were his own witnesses.” “Well, Mr. Finch didn't act that way to Mayella and old ‘man Ewell when he cross-examined them. The way ‘man called him “boy’ all the time an” sneered at him, an’ looked around atthe jury every time he answered” 3 COME ON ROUND here, son, I got something t think Atticus would like it if we became ith Mr. Raymond, and 1 knew Aunt Alexandra sucked on the straws, smiled, and pulled at > hee,” said Mr. Raymond, fevidently, taking de- comupting a child. you watch out, now,” I warned. released the straws and grinned. “Scout, it’s noth- Coca-Cola.” ) _ Mr, Raymond sat up against the tree-trumk. He had ying on the grass. “You little folks won’t tell on me ‘will you? It'd ruin my reputation if you did.” ‘mean all you drink in that sack’s Coca-Cola? in Coca-Cola?” ‘Yes ma’am,” Mr. Raymond nodded. 1 liked his smell: it was of leather, horses, cottonseed. He wore the only ‘an example, Dill, he's—" 1 was trying t rope in my memory fo sharp phrase of Miss Mavdi ’s the same in the courtroom “Lknow what you mean, ‘We thought it came from the tree- ee) ee to Mr. Dolphus Raymond. He red around theToKilla Mecinghird & 271. -unbuttoned his vest, unbuttoned his collar, loos his tie, and took off his coat. He never loosened of his clothing until he undressed at bedtime, and Jem and me, this was the equivalent of him standing 270 Hanver Lee the babies were. Judge Taylor's cigar was a brown speck in the center of his mouth; Mr. Gilmer was writing of ‘one of the yellow pads on his table, trying to outdo the ‘court reporter, whose hand was jerking rapidly. “Shi I muttered, “wve missed it” ‘Atticus was halfway through his speech to the jury. He had evidently pulled some papers from his briefcase that rested beside his chair, because they were or ‘table. Tom Robinson was toying with them, ibsence of any corroborative evidence, this was indicted on a capital charge and is now on tral his life... ‘punched Jem, “How long's he been at it?” “He's just gone over the evidence,” Jem whispered, and we're gonna win, Scout. I don’t see how we can’ sure beyond all reasonable doubt as to the guilt of defendant. To begin with, this case should never have 10 tial, ‘This case is as simple as black and white. ‘The state has not produced one iota of medical Robinson is d d instead upon testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not. ‘been called into serious question on cross-examina- but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. “Sh-h. Nothing new, just the usual. Hush now” ‘We looked down again. Atticus was speaking ea: with the kind of detachment he used when he dicta letter. He walked slowly up and down infront ofthe jury, tive? their heads were u route with what seemed be appreciation. I guess it was because Atticus w ‘thunderer. ‘Atticus paused, then he did something he di ordinarily do. He umhitched ‘his. watch and chai and placed them on the table, saying, “With the court permission —" Judge Taylor nodded, and then Atticus did something ‘Lnever saw him do before or since, in public of in pr at stake, which she has done in fort to get rid of her own guilt. say guilt, gentlemen, because it was guill that mo- her, She has committed no crime, she has merelyToKilla Mocingind GS 27 no idea,” said Atticus shorly. “You've been here e jury might be out and back in a minute, we don’t " but we could tell Atticus was relenting, “Well, 've heard it all, so you might as well hear the 2 SHE STOPPED SHYLY at the railing and w to gt Judge Taylors attention, She was is a eh apron and she carried an envelope in her hand. Judge Taylor nodded and Atticus took the enve lope from Calpurnia. He opened it, read its content ‘cony—been there since precisely one-eighteen p.m. Our father turned around and looked up. ‘Jem, com ‘down from there,” he called, Then he said something t the judge we didn't hear, We climbed across Reverend Sykes and made our way to the staircase, ‘Atticus and Calpurnia met us downstairs. Calp looked peeved, but Atticus looked exhausted. Jem was jumping in excitement. “We've won, havent wel” The streetlights were on, and we glimpsed Calpur- iignant profile as we passed beneath them, “Mis- T thought you was gettin’ some kinda head on shoulders—the very idea, she’s your little sister! sit! You oughta be pefecly ashamed of ourself—ain't you got any sense at all?” © was exilarated. So many things had happened so