Chapter 8 of Hoofbeats on the Turnpike is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Hoofbeats on the Turnpike is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found. Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table. "You may as well search there too," Mr. Burmaster said. "Then there can be no further accusations." One by one Penny opened the drawers of the dressing table.
Chapter 8 of Hoofbeats on the Turnpike is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
plural of “accusation” — a formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt
From this reading “"Then there can be no further accusations."”
a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it
From this reading “From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.”
underpants worn by men
From this reading “One by one Penny opened the drawers of the dressing table.”
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading “Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table.”
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading “From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.”
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading “Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table.”
possessive form of “penny” — a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading “Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table.”
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading “Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
low table with mirror or mirrors where one sits while dressing or applying makeup
In this reading “Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table.”
In this reading “From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.”
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.
plural of “accusation” — a formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt
From this reading "Then there can be no further accusations."
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "You may as well search there too," Mr. Burmaster said.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You may as well search there too," Mr. Burmaster said.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading One by one Penny opened the drawers of the dressing table.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Then there can be no further accusations."
a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
underpants worn by men
From this reading One by one Penny opened the drawers of the dressing table.
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table.
set up or found
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading "Then there can be no further accusations."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "You may as well search there too," Mr. Burmaster said.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "You may as well search there too," Mr. Burmaster said.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
not any; not one
From this reading "Then there can be no further accusations."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One by one Penny opened the drawers of the dressing table.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading One by one Penny opened the drawers of the dressing table.
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading One by one Penny opened the drawers of the dressing table.
possessive form of “penny” — a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You may as well search there too," Mr. Burmaster said.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading "You may as well search there too," Mr. Burmaster said.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then there can be no further accusations."
in or at that place or location
From this reading "You may as well search there too," Mr. Burmaster said.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "You may as well search there too," Mr. Burmaster said.
in the direction of
From this reading Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table.
precisely as stated
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading Penny's eyes wandered toward the dressing table.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "You may as well search there too," Mr. Burmaster said.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading From the tone of his voice it was evident that he had been very much afraid the deed would be found.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You may as well search there too," Mr. Burmaster said.
Chapter 8 of Hoofbeats on the Turnpike by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 8 holds 417 sentences of Hoofbeats on the Turnpike, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Hoofbeats on the Turnpike by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 8 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 Hoofbeats on the Turnpike by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4142 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34691 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34691, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 345 minutes of reading across 829 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Hoofbeats on the Turnpike section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Hoofbeats on the Turnpike 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 Hoofbeats on the Turnpike, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
