Chapter 3 of Lonesome Town is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Lonesome Town is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Peter Pape sighed a chestful of relief. They pulled on like ordinary pants. But of course that was what they were expected to do. Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham? Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
Chapter 3 of Lonesome Town is here in full — 113 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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.
a feeling of evil to come
From this reading “Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.”
past form of “insert” — put or introduce into something
From this reading “Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.”
discover the location of; determine the place of; find by searching or examining
From this reading “Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?”
(used in the plural) underpants worn by women
From this reading “They pulled on like ordinary pants.”
adjust to a specific need or market
From this reading “Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?”
plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot
From this reading “Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.”
plural of “tunnel” — a passageway through or under something, usually underground (especially one for trains or cars)
From this reading “Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.”
either of two offspring born at the same time from the same pregnancy
From this reading “Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.”
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.
In this reading “Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?”
as might be expected
In this reading “But of course that was what they were expected to do.”
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 Peter Pape sighed a chestful of relief.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But of course that was what they were expected to do.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Peter Pape sighed a chestful of relief.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading But of course that was what they were expected to do.
command with authority
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading But of course that was what they were expected to do.
divisible by two
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading But of course that was what they were expected to do.
high in price or charging high prices
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
a feeling of evil to come
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
past form of “insert” — put or introduce into something
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading They pulled on like ordinary pants.
discover the location of; determine the place of; find by searching or examining
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
used to form the superlative
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Peter Pape sighed a chestful of relief.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They pulled on like ordinary pants.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading They pulled on like ordinary pants.
(used in the plural) underpants worn by women
From this reading They pulled on like ordinary pants.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Peter Pape sighed a chestful of relief.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading Peter Pape sighed a chestful of relief.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading They pulled on like ordinary pants.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading Peter Pape sighed a chestful of relief.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading Peter Pape sighed a chestful of relief.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
adjust to a specific need or market
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But of course that was what they were expected to do.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They pulled on like ordinary pants.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But of course that was what they were expected to do.
plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
plural of “tunnel” — a passageway through or under something, usually underground (especially one for trains or cars)
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
either of two offspring born at the same time from the same pregnancy
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But of course that was what they were expected to do.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But of course that was what they were expected to do.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But of course that was what they were expected to do.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Even so, he had inserted his silk-socked toes into their twin tunnels with some foreboding.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Weren’t they direct from the work room of the most expensive tailor he could locate in Gotham?
Chapter 3 of Lonesome Town by E. S. (Ethel Smith) Dorrance holds 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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 3 holds 113 sentences of Lonesome Town, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Lonesome Town by E. S. (Ethel Smith) Dorrance exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 113 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 3 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 Lonesome Town by E. S. (Ethel Smith) Dorrance on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4987 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35819 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35819, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 415 minutes of reading across 998 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Lonesome Town section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of Lonesome Town 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 Lonesome Town, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
