Chapter 7: The Truth Behind Jem's Retrieval of his Pants

After Jem retrieved his pants from the fence, he slowly comes to a realization that perhaps his initial perception and judgment of Boo Radley had been wrong and that Boo Radley might be the one who keeps leaving the gifts in the tree. In chapter 7, Jem finally reveals to Scout about what had occurred that night when he went to retrieve his pants. "When I went back for my breeches--they were all in a tangle when I was gettin' out of 'em, I couldn't get 'em loose. When I went back--" Jem took a deep breath. "When I went back, they were folded across the fence...like they were expectin' me." (p.78) Jem believes that someone knew he was going to come back to the fence in order to get his pants back, which also meant that whoever had folded his pants also knew of what he, Scout, and Dill had done at the Radley's house. Jem also reveals that, "They'd been sewed up. Not like a lady sewed 'em, like somethin' I'd tried to do." (p.78)  It can be inferred that this was an act of a man. And throughout this chapter Jem is coming to a conclusion that it might be Boo Radley.
This brings us to the Radley's tree, a tree on the property of the Radley's, a place where people are afraid of going near. So far in this book we have seen that Jem and Scout have been receiving gifts such as Indian coins, gum, and gray twine,  from an unknown person in the hole of the tree. They also receive a gift of whittled soap, meant to represent themselves and a watch, still not knowing who is leaving these gifts for them. "He had been on the verge of telling me something all evening; his face would brighten and he would lean toward me, then would change his mind..."Here let's write a letter," I pushed a tablet under his nose. "Okay. Dear Mister..." (p.82) Something has clearly been on Jem's mind throughout this chapter, most likely about who keeps leaving him the gifts and who had folded and 'mended' his pants. When writing a letter to the stranger that had been giving Scout and Jem gifts, his thoughts accidentally slip out by revealing that he believes it's a man. Perhaps he doesn't want to share his thoughts that this stranger could be Boo Radley with Scout, because he didn't want to frighten her knowing how much Scout didn't was afraid of him. But it slowly reveals Jem's new found respect of Boo Radley.
On the following page on their way to school Jem discovers something, "Someone had filled our knot-hole with cement. "Don't cry now Scout...don't cry now, don't you worry--" he muttered at me all the way to school." (p.83) Although it isn't clear whether Scout was actually upset about the hole being filled with cement; it is obvious that Jem is. And coming to a conclusion that it is Boo Radley who keeps leaving the gifts, Jem is beginning to think that those rumors of him were false.  With the tree still in mind he goes and asks Nathan Radley why he had filled the hole of his tree with cement, which Nathan replies, "Tree's dying. You plug 'em up with cement when they're sick." (p.83) Still not convinced, Jem asks Atticus's opinion about the tree, and it is revealed that the true looks healthy. This is implied that Nathan lied about the reason to Scout and Jem, and the real reason is most likely because he doesn't want Boo Radley to continue giving gifts to the children. (Throughout the book it is implied that the Radley family lives in an abusive household.)
Jem cries at the end of this chapter at this realization.