Chapter 21 of The Desert Fiddler is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of The Desert Fiddler is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success. But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman. She and her father had been compelled to operate on small capital. They had figured, or rather Imogene had, dollar at a time. This new venture of Rogeen's rather appalled her.
Chapter 21 of The Desert Fiddler is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading “This new venture of Rogeen's rather appalled her.”
United States writer of detective thrillers featuring the character of Philip Marlowe (1888-1959)
From this reading “Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.”
with confidence; in a confident manner
From this reading “Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.”
the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading “They had figured, or rather Imogene had, dollar at a time.”
plural of “doubt” — the state of being unsure of something
From this reading “But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.”
(of e.g. fabric design) adorned with patterns
From this reading “They had figured, or rather Imogene had, dollar at a time.”
direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.
From this reading “She and her father had been compelled to operate on small capital.”
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
From this reading “But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.”
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 But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
later than; following
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She and her father had been compelled to operate on small capital.
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading This new venture of Rogeen's rather appalled her.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They had figured, or rather Imogene had, dollar at a time.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She and her father had been compelled to operate on small capital.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
assets available for use in the production of further assets
From this reading She and her father had been compelled to operate on small capital.
United States writer of detective thrillers featuring the character of Philip Marlowe (1888-1959)
From this reading Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.
inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something
From this reading She and her father had been compelled to operate on small capital.
with confidence; in a confident manner
From this reading Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.
the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading They had figured, or rather Imogene had, dollar at a time.
plural of “doubt” — the state of being unsure of something
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading She and her father had been compelled to operate on small capital.
(of e.g. fabric design) adorned with patterns
From this reading They had figured, or rather Imogene had, dollar at a time.
destroyed or killed
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She and her father had been compelled to operate on small capital.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading This new venture of Rogeen's rather appalled her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She and her father had been compelled to operate on small capital.
direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.
From this reading She and her father had been compelled to operate on small capital.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading They had figured, or rather Imogene had, dollar at a time.
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
on the contrary
From this reading They had figured, or rather Imogene had, dollar at a time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This new venture of Rogeen's rather appalled her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She and her father had been compelled to operate on small capital.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had figured, or rather Imogene had, dollar at a time.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This new venture of Rogeen's rather appalled her.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading They had figured, or rather Imogene had, dollar at a time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Imogene Chandler had spoken most confidently to Bob of his success.
lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome
From this reading This new venture of Rogeen's rather appalled her.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading But after he was gone she began to be pestered by uneasy doubts--which is the way of a woman.
Chapter 21 of The Desert Fiddler by William H. (William Henry) Hamby holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 21 holds 120 sentences of The Desert Fiddler, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of The Desert Fiddler by William H. (William Henry) Hamby exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 21 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 Desert Fiddler by William H. (William Henry) Hamby on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3016 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25960 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25960, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 251 minutes of reading across 604 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Desert Fiddler section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of The Desert Fiddler 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 Desert Fiddler, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
