Chapter ten is about secret powers. Atticus is by far the oldest parent among Scout's friend group. Atticus does not hunt, farm, drive a dump truck, or do any of the outdoorsy jobs that the other parents do. Atticus is too old to play tackle football with his son. When Scout asks Miss Maudie what her father "can do," Miss Maudie says that he can "make somebody’s will so airtight can’t anybody meddle with it." Scout is unimpressed. She is also unimpressed with the other talents Miss Maudie lists (champion checker player and accomplished Jew's harp player). For her, all Atticus does is "sit in the livingroom and read." She is amazed, however, when Atticus is able to kill a rabid dog from a significant distance with a single shot.
Of course, Atticus's real secret power is his sense of justice and his ability to empathize and care for others. These things simply do not matter to Scout. Atticus's history as "one-shot Finch" is a kind of suppressed story; however, Scout learns that often there is more to people—and what they can do—than meets the eye.
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