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           Peoplesaidhewentoutatnightwhenthemoonwasdown,andpeepedinwindows. Whenpeople’sazaleasfrozeinacoldsnap,itwasbecausehehadbreathedonthem. AnystealthysmallcrimescommittedinMaycombwerehiswork. Oncethetownwasterrorizedbyaseriesofmorbidnocturnalevents: people’schickensandhouseholdpetswerefoundmutilated; althoughtheculpritwasCrazyAddie,whoeventuallydrownedhimselfinBarker’sEddy,peoplestilllookedattheRadleyPlace,unwillingtodiscardtheirinitialsuspicions. ANegrowouldnotpasstheRadleyPlaceatnight,hewouldcutacrosstothesidewalkoppositeandwhistleashewalked. TheMaycombschoolgroundsadjoinedthebackoftheRadleylot; fromtheRadleychickenyardtallpecantreesshooktheirfruitintotheschoolyard,butthenutslayuntouchedbythechildren: Radleypecanswouldkillyou. AbaseballhitintotheRadleyyardwasalostballandnoquestionsasked. 

           ThemiseryofthathousebeganmanyyearsbeforeJemandIwereborn. TheRadleys,welcomeanywhereintown,kepttothemselves,apredilectionunforgivableinMaycomb. Theydidnotgotochurch,Maycomb’sprincipalrecreation,butworshipedathome; Mrs.Radleyseldomifevercrossedthestreetforamid-morningcoffeebreakwithherneighbors,andcertainlyneverjoinedamissionarycircle. Mr.Radleywalkedtotownateleven-thirtyeverymorningandcamebackpromptlyattwelve,sometimescarryingabrownpaperbagthattheneighborhoodumedcontainedthefamilygroceries. IneverknewhowoldMr.Radleymadehisliving—Jemsaidhe"boughtcotton,"apolitetermfordoingnothing—butMr.Radleyandhiswifehadlivedtherewiththeirtwosonsaslongasanybodycouldremember. 

           TheshuttersanddoorsoftheRadleyhousewereclosedonSundays,anotherthingalientoMaycomb’sways: closeddoorsmeantillnessandcoldweatheronly.