Chapter 32 of Out for Business is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXII
Chapter 32 of Out for Business is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
ROBERT DELIVERS THE PRECIOUS MAP. "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert. "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero. "Did you forget the valise?" "No, they have stolen my baggage check."
Chapter 32 of Out for Business 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.
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading “"No, they have stolen my baggage check."”
a person who exercises control over workers
From this reading “"There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.”
third-person singular of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)
From this reading “ROBERT DELIVERS THE PRECIOUS MAP.”
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading “"There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.”
one who works hard at boring tasks
From this reading “"There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.”
make a map of; show or establish the features of details of
From this reading “ROBERT DELIVERS THE PRECIOUS MAP.”
-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of
From this reading “"There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.”
plural of “thief” — a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading “"I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.”
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.
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 "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
later than; following
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading "No, they have stolen my baggage check."
a person who exercises control over workers
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
From this reading "No, they have stolen my baggage check."
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
third-person singular of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)
From this reading ROBERT DELIVERS THE PRECIOUS MAP.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Did you forget the valise?"
plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading "Did you forget the valise?"
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
one who works hard at boring tasks
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "No, they have stolen my baggage check."
a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
engage in
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
make a map of; show or establish the features of details of
From this reading ROBERT DELIVERS THE PRECIOUS MAP.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
not any; not one
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading ROBERT DELIVERS THE PRECIOUS MAP.
-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading ROBERT DELIVERS THE PRECIOUS MAP.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent
From this reading "No, they have stolen my baggage check."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ROBERT DELIVERS THE PRECIOUS MAP.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "No, they have stolen my baggage check."
plural of “thief” — a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
create by training and teaching
From this reading "There aint no train now, boss," said the hack driver, after receiving his directions from Robert.
a small overnight bag for short trips
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
which person or people
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I don't want to catch a train; I want to catch a couple of thieves who want to make off with my valise," answered our hero.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Did you forget the valise?"
Chapter 32 of Out for Business by Horatio, Jr. Alger 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 32 holds 143 sentences of Out for Business, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 32 of Out for Business by Horatio, Jr. Alger 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 32 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 Out for Business by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4464 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54737 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54737, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 372 minutes of reading across 893 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Out for Business section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 33 chapters of Out for Business 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 Out for Business, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
