Lady Luck

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Lady Luck is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Hugh Wiley • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

The Passengers were in bed.

On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

"Boy, dem shivers is workin' overtime.

Neveh seed such a partial-shiverin' fool.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XIV Reading 1/35

Lady Luck

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of Lady Luck is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

Line 2

The Passengers were in bed.

/ðə ˈpæsəndʒərz wɜːr ɪn bed/

Line 3

On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

/ɑːn ðə ˈwɪndoʊ end ʌv ðə ˈleðər siːt ˈʃɪvərɪŋ hɪmˈself aʊt ʌv ə ˈkoʊtɪŋ ʌv kəˈlʌmbiə ˈrɪvər mʌd wɪtʃ hiː hæd əˈkjuːmjəleɪtɪd ðæt ˌæftərˈnuːn ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə smelt ˈhɑːrvəst wɑːz ðə mʌd ˈtɜːrtəl/

Line 4

"Boy, dem shivers is workin' overtime.

Line 5

Neveh seed such a partial-shiverin' fool.

Learner Dictionary

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.

coating noun US /ˈkoʊtɪŋ/

a thin layer covering something

From this reading “On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.”

deadhead noun US /ˈdedhed/

a nonenterprising person who is not paying his way

From this reading “Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.”

overtime noun US /ˈoʊvərtaɪm/

work done in addition to regular working hours

From this reading “"Boy, dem shivers is workin' overtime.”

Portland noun US /ˈpɔːrtlənd/

freshwater port and largest city in Oregon; located in northwestern Oregon on the Willamette River which divides the city into east and west sections; renowned for its beautiful natural setting among the mountains

From this reading “Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.”

Pullman noun US /ˈpʊlmən/

luxurious passenger car; for day or night travel

From this reading “Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.”

shivers noun US /ˈʃɪvərz/

plural of “shiver” — a reflex motion caused by cold or fear or excitement

From this reading “"Boy, dem shivers is workin' overtime.”

Turtle's noun US /ˈtɜːrtəlz/

possessive form of “turtle” — a sweater or jersey with a high close-fitting collar

From this reading “Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.”

Wildcat noun US /ˈwaɪldkæt/

an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field

From this reading “Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

after midnight preposition + noun

In this reading “Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.”

smoking room noun + noun

room in a hotel or club set apart for smokers

In this reading “Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.”

in bed preposition + noun

In this reading “The Passengers were in bed.”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

accumulatedadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːmjəleɪtɪd/

periodically accumulated over time

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading The Passengers were in bed.

boundadjectiveUS /baʊnd/

confined by bonds

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

BoynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading "Boy, dem shivers is workin' overtime.

coatingnounUS /ˈkoʊtɪŋ/

a thin layer covering something

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

ColumbianounUS /kəˈlʌmbiə/

a North American river; rises in southwestern Canada and flows southward across Washington to form the border between Washington and Oregon before emptying into the Pacific; known for its salmon runs in the spring

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

deadheadnounUS /ˈdedhed/

a nonenterprising person who is not paying his way

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

dem

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Boy, dem shivers is workin' overtime.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

foolnounUS /fuːl/

a person who lacks good judgment

From this reading Neveh seed such a partial-shiverin' fool.

Francisco

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

harvestnounUS /ˈhɑːrvəst/

the yield from plants in a single growing season

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "Boy, dem shivers is workin' overtime.

leathernounUS /ˈleðər/

an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

LeavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

midnightnounUS /ˈmɪdnaɪt/

12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

MudnounUS /mʌd/

water soaked soil; soft wet earth

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

Neveh

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Neveh seed such a partial-shiverin' fool.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

overtimenounUS /ˈoʊvərtaɪm/

work done in addition to regular working hours

From this reading "Boy, dem shivers is workin' overtime.

partial-shiverin

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Neveh seed such a partial-shiverin' fool.

PassengersnounUS /ˈpæsəndʒərz/

plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it

From this reading The Passengers were in bed.

PortlandnounUS /ˈpɔːrtlənd/

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

PullmannounUS /ˈpʊlmən/

luxurious passenger car; for day or night travel

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

San

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

seatnounUS /siːt/

a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

seednounUS /siːd/

a small hard fruit

From this reading Neveh seed such a partial-shiverin' fool.

shiveringnounUS /ˈʃɪvərɪŋ/

a sensation of cold that often marks the start of an infection and the development of a fever

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

shiversnounUS /ˈʃɪvərz/

plural of “shiver” — a reflex motion caused by cold or fear or excitement

From this reading "Boy, dem shivers is workin' overtime.

smeltnounUS /smelt/

small cold-water silvery fish; migrate between salt and fresh water

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

smokingnounUS /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Neveh seed such a partial-shiverin' fool.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

TurtlenounUS /ˈtɜːrtəl/

a sweater or jersey with a high close-fitting collar

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

Turtle'snounUS /ˈtɜːrtəlz/

possessive form of “turtle” — a sweater or jersey with a high close-fitting collar

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The Passengers were in bed.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

WildcatnounUS /ˈwaɪldkæt/

an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field

From this reading Leaving Portland an hour after midnight, the deadhead Wildcat sat in the smoking room of the Mud Turtle's San Francisco bound Pullman.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading On the window end of the leather seat, shivering himself out of a coating of Columbia river mud which he had accumulated that afternoon during the smelt harvest, was the Mud Turtle.

workin

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Boy, dem shivers is workin' overtime.

Chapter 14 of Lady Luck by Hugh Wiley holds 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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.

What does chapter 14 of Lady Luck contain?

Chapter 14 holds 178 sentences of Lady Luck, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Lady Luck by Hugh Wiley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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.

How do I study chapter 14 of Lady Luck?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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.

Can chapter 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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.

Questions about reading Lady Luck

Common questions about reading Lady Luck by Hugh Wiley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Lady Luck?

Yes. All 4131 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26165 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Lady Luck is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26165, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Lady Luck take to read?

About 344 minutes of reading across 827 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Lady Luck section by section

How to work through Lady Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 20 chapters of Lady Luck to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Lady Luck

Words and structures a reader meets early in Lady Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fiel': A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lady Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sailed: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lady Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wisht: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lady Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Konk'rin': A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lady Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XIV

What does chapter 14 of Lady Luck contain?

How do I study chapter 14 of Lady Luck?

Can chapter 14 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Lady Luck

How to read Lady Luck section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Lady Luck