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           Once,whenAuntyuredusthatMissStephanieCrawford’stendencytomindotherpeople’sbusinesswashereditary,Atticussaid,"Sister,whenyoustoptothinkaboutit,ourgeneration’spracticallythefirstintheFinchfamilynottomarryitscousins.WouldyousaytheFincheshaveanIncestuousStreak?"

           Auntysaidno,that’swherewegotoursmallhandsandfeet.

           Ineverunderstoodherpreoccupationwithheredity.Somewhere,IhadreceivedtheimpressionthatFineFolkswerepeoplewhodidthebesttheycouldwiththesensetheyhad,butAuntAlexandrawasoftheopinion,obliquelyexpressed,thatthelongerafamilyhadbeensquattingononepatchoflandthefineritwas.

           "ThatmakestheEwellsfinefolks,then,"saidJem.ThetribeofwhichBurrisEwellandhisbrethrenconsistedhadlivedonthesameplotofearthbehindtheMaycombdump,andhadthrivedoncountywelfaremoneyforthreegenerations.

           AuntAlexandra’stheoryhadsomethingbehindit,though.Maycombwasanancienttown.ItwastwentymileseastofFinch’sLanding,awkwardlyinlandforsuchanoldtown.ButMaycombwouldhavebeenclosertotheriverhaditnotbeenforthenimble-wittednessofoneSinkfield,whointhedawnofhistoryoperatedaninnwheretwopig-trailsmet,theonlytavernintheterritory.Sinkfield,nopatriot,servedandsuppliedammunitiontoIndiansandsettlersalike,neitherknowingorcaringwhetherhewasapartoftheAlabamaTerritoryortheCreekNationsolongasbusinesswasgood.