Chapter 16 of Spirits Do Return is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Spirits Do Return is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A NEW PRISONER IN CELL 78. “Mr. Pearson, have you decided to go quietly? I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed. This is the telegram which brought the news.” “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
Chapter 16 of Spirits Do Return is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
possessive form of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading “A NEW PRISONER IN CELL 78.”
past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading “I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.”
a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)
From this reading “I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.”
keep busy with
From this reading “I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.”
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading ““Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.”
a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
From this reading ““Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.”
a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading “This is the telegram which brought the news.””
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 “I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.”
come into being or existence, or appear on the scene
In this reading ““Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.”
In this reading ““Mr. Pearson, have you decided to go quietly?”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A NEW PRISONER IN CELL 78.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A NEW PRISONER IN CELL 78.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
possessive form of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading This is the telegram which brought the news.”
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading A NEW PRISONER IN CELL 78.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
recognizable; marked
From this reading “Mr. Pearson, have you decided to go quietly?
a boy or man
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Mr. Pearson, have you decided to go quietly?
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Mr. Pearson, have you decided to go quietly?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A NEW PRISONER IN CELL 78.
free from evil or guilt
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “Mr. Pearson, have you decided to go quietly?
a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading A NEW PRISONER IN CELL 78.
information about recent and important events
From this reading This is the telegram which brought the news.”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
keep busy with
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Mr. Pearson, have you decided to go quietly?
by chance
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading A NEW PRISONER IN CELL 78.
with low volume
From this reading “Mr. Pearson, have you decided to go quietly?
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
from a time in the past until now
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
a message transmitted by telegraph
From this reading This is the telegram which brought the news.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is the telegram which brought the news.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Mr. Pearson, have you decided to go quietly?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading This is the telegram which brought the news.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Perhaps if I would call him a ‘pet’ and ‘fellow,’ he would come along with me,” said Pat.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Mr. Pearson, have you decided to go quietly?
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I think you may now occupy your brother’s cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the real murderer has confessed.
Chapter 16 of Spirits Do Return by Ida Belle White holds 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 16 holds 197 sentences of Spirits Do Return, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Spirits Do Return by Ida Belle White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 16 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 Spirits Do Return by Ida Belle White on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3810 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #57302 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #57302, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 317 minutes of reading across 762 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Spirits Do Return section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of Spirits Do Return 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 Spirits Do Return, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
