Chapter 20 of Desk and Debit is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Desk and Debit is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN. "Where are you going now, Philip?" asked Miss Collingsby. "I am obliged to chase Mr. Whippleton. I told you what he had been doing. He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
Chapter 20 of Desk and Debit is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
go after with the intent to catch
From this reading “"I am obliged to chase Mr. Whippleton.”
of or relating to or venerating the Virgin Mary
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.”
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.”
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading “He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.”
inflected form of “rob” — take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
From this reading “He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.”
plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.”
past form of “swindle” — deprive of by deceit
From this reading “He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.”
having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange
From this reading “He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.
in addition
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am obliged to chase Mr. Whippleton.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Where are you going now, Philip?" asked Miss Collingsby.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Where are you going now, Philip?" asked Miss Collingsby.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I told you what he had been doing.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
go after with the intent to catch
From this reading "I am obliged to chase Mr. Whippleton.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Where are you going now, Philip?" asked Miss Collingsby.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading I told you what he had been doing.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
the act of departing
From this reading "Where are you going now, Philip?" asked Miss Collingsby.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I told you what he had been doing.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I told you what he had been doing.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I am obliged to chase Mr. Whippleton.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.
conformity or harmony
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
of or relating to or venerating the Virgin Mary
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Where are you going now, Philip?" asked Miss Collingsby.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "I am obliged to chase Mr. Whippleton.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Where are you going now, Philip?" asked Miss Collingsby.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading "I am obliged to chase Mr. Whippleton.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading "Where are you going now, Philip?" asked Miss Collingsby.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
inflected form of “rob” — take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.
a quantity of money
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
past form of “swindle” — deprive of by deceit
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I am obliged to chase Mr. Whippleton.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading I told you what he had been doing.
having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I told you what he had been doing.
in or at the place that
From this reading "Where are you going now, Philip?" asked Miss Collingsby.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL SAILS THE MARIAN ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I am obliged to chase Mr. Whippleton.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Where are you going now, Philip?" asked Miss Collingsby.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading He has swindled your father out of a large sum of money, and he has also robbed me of a valuable package, which was put in my care for safe keeping.
Chapter 20 of Desk and Debit by Oliver Optic holds 162 sentences, grouped into 33 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 20 holds 162 sentences of Desk and Debit, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Desk and Debit by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 162 sentences, grouped into 33 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Desk and Debit by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4190 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24544 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24544, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 349 minutes of reading across 838 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Desk and Debit section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of Desk and Debit to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Desk and Debit, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
