Chapter 20 of The Cash Boy is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Cash Boy is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him. “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.” “Have the men gone away?” said Frank. “Yes.” “Then I have something to tell you.
Chapter 20 of The Cash Boy is here in full — 142 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.
a beef steak usually cooked by broiling
From this reading ““I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.””
a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans
From this reading ““I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.””
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading ““I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.””
possessive form of “frank” — a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
From this reading ““I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.””
according to the clock
(baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
From this reading ““I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.””
make brown and crisp by heating
From this reading ““I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.””
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 am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Have the men gone away?” said Frank.
a beef steak usually cooked by broiling
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
earlier than; in front of
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
a beverage consisting of an infusion of ground coffee beans
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
being one more than seven
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading “Have the men gone away?” said Frank.
possessive form of “frank” — a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
destroyed or killed
From this reading “Have the men gone away?” said Frank.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
the force of workers available
From this reading “Have the men gone away?” said Frank.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
according to the clock
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
(baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “Then I have something to tell you.
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
express in words
From this reading “Then I have something to tell you.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Then I have something to tell you.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
make brown and crisp by heating
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE ESCAPE It was eight o’clock the next morning before Frank’s breakfast was brought to him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I am sorry you have had to wait,” the housekeeper said, as she appeared at the door with a cup of coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, “I couldn’t come up before.”
Chapter 20 of The Cash Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 142 sentences, grouped into 29 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 20 holds 142 sentences of The Cash Boy, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Cash Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 142 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 20 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 The Cash Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2381 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #296 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #296, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 198 minutes of reading across 477 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Cash Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Cash Boy 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 The Cash Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
