Jem and Scout would never have walked alone past the Radley house after dark in the opening chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird. In fact, they are only walking alone to the Halloween pageant because Atticus has been out of town, and Alexandra has spent most of the day decorating for the event: They are both too tired to escort the children. Although Scout still believes it's "a scary place," she knows that "Boo doesn't mean anybody any harm"--a far cry from her earlier beliefs about Boo's nocturnal activities. They both laughed at Jem's suggestion that Scout might still be "scared of Haints."
Haints, Hot Steams, incantations, secret signs, had vanished with our years as mist with sunrise.
When they begin their walk home, they hear noises behind them, but they think it is only Cecil Jacobs, who had frightened them on the way to the school. When they are attacked, neither of the children know who their culprit is, but the reader is able to guess that it is Bob Ewell, attempting to make do on his promise to get back at Atticus
... if it took the rest of his life.
Bob's life ended that night, and he surely must not have suspected that it would be Boo Radley who would kill him. After returning home safely, the night turns into one which she has fantasized about: She stands face to face with Boo Radley, and she wishes that Jem could only be conscious to see Boo for himself.
My small fantasy about him was alive again: he would be sitting on the porch... right pretty spell we're having, isn't it, Mr. Arthur?
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