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           ButsummercameandDillwasnotthere.Ireceivedaletterandasnapshotfromhim.Thelettersaidhehadanewfatherwhosepicturewasenclosed,andhewouldhavetostayinMeridianbecausetheyplannedtobuildafishingboat.HisfatherwasalawyerlikeAtticus,onlymuchyounger.Dill’snewfatherhadapleasantface,whichmademegladDillhadcapturedhim,butIwascrushed.Dillconcludedbysayinghewouldlovemeforeverandnottoworry,hewouldcomegetmeandmarrymeassoonashegotenoughmoneytogether,sopleasewrite.

           ThefactthatIhadapermanentfiancewaslittlecompensationforhisabsence:Ihadneverthoughtaboutit,butsummerwasDillbythefishpoolsmokingstring,Dill’seyesalivewithcomplicatedplanstomakeBooRadleyemerge;summerwastheswiftnesswithwhichDillwouldreachupandkissmewhenJemwasnotlooking,thelongingswesometimesfelteachotherfeel.Withhim,lifewasroutine;withouthim,lifewasunbearable.Istayedmiserablefortwodays.

           Asifthatwerenotenough,thestatelegislaturewascalledintoemergencysessionandAtticusleftusfortwoweeks.TheGovernorwaseagertoscrapeafewbarnaclesofftheshipofstate;thereweresit-downstrikesinBirmingham;breadlinesinthecitiesgrewlonger,peopleinthecountrygrewpoorer.ButthesewereeventsremotefromtheworldofJemandme.

           WeweresurprisedonemorningtoseeacartoonintheMontgomeryAdvertiserabovethecaption,"Maycomb’sFinch."ItshowedAtticusbarefootedandinshortpants,chainedtoadesk:hewasdiligentlywritingonaslatewhilesomefrivolous-lookinggirlsyelled,"Yoo-hoo!"athim.

           "That’sacompliment,"explainedJem."Hespendshistimedoin’thingsthatwouldn’tgetdoneifnobodydid‘em."