Chapter 26 of Desk and Debit is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of Desk and Debit is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER. "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me. "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet. "Can't do it, miss. Mr. Whippleton will shoot me," answered the cook, in high excitement.
Chapter 26 of Desk and Debit is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.”
plural of “find” — a productive insight
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.”
of or relating to or venerating the Virgin Mary
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.”
past form of “plead” — appeal or request earnestly
From this reading “"Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.”
a strong line
From this reading “"Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.”
plural of “run” — a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.”
hit with a missile from a weapon
From this reading “Mr. Whippleton will shoot me," answered the cook, in high excitement.”
plural of “table” — a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading “IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.”
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.
Having no one else present.
From this reading "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading Mr. Whippleton will shoot me," answered the cook, in high excitement.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me.
confined by bonds
From this reading "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Can't do it, miss.
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
prepare a hot meal
From this reading Mr. Whippleton will shoot me," answered the cook, in high excitement.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Can't do it, miss.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading Mr. Whippleton will shoot me," answered the cook, in high excitement.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.
plural of “find” — a productive insight
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Mr. Whippleton will shoot me," answered the cook, in high excitement.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Can't do it, miss.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.
of or relating to or venerating the Virgin Mary
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Can't do it, miss.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
past form of “plead” — appeal or request earnestly
From this reading "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
a strong line
From this reading "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.
plural of “run” — a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
done under pressure
From this reading "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.
hit with a missile from a weapon
From this reading Mr. Whippleton will shoot me," answered the cook, in high excitement.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me.
plural of “table” — a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Let him alone, Peter," pleaded Marian, as she rushed to the rope which bound my feet.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE TABLES TURNED, AND THE MARIAN RUNS INTO CHICAGO RIVER.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Gorrificious!--Mr. Whippleton!" shouted Peter, as he lay down upon me.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Mr. Whippleton will shoot me," answered the cook, in high excitement.
Chapter 26 of Desk and Debit by Oliver Optic holds 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 26 holds 143 sentences of Desk and Debit, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of Desk and Debit by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 26 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.
