To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 24

Scout was sucked into one of the missionary teas that Alexandra hosted at their home, and it required that she dress and behave like a girl. At the tea, a pious guest, Mrs. Merriweather, made thinly-veiled accusations that Atticus was wrong to defend Tom Robinson and that the sullen behavior of the local Negroes after the verdict was his fault. Soon after that, Atticus had burst in the house looking pale and requesting Alexandra's presence in the kitchen. She, Scout, and Miss Maudie joined him in the kitchen with Calpurnia and he told them that Tom Robinson was dead. He'd been shot trying to escape the work prison. Atticus wanted Cal to go with him to tell Tom's wife.

When Atticus and Cal left, Alexandra talked to Maudie about the strain the case had put on Atticus. Although Alexandra didn't approve of all that he did, she didn't understand how much more the people of the town wanted from him. Miss Maudie explained to Alexandra as she'd explained to Jem that calling on Atticus to do these things was a tribute because he was the man they trusted to do it right. The few people in Maycomb who believed that justice was colorblind and respected black people as human beings trusted Atticus to go to bat for their cause.