Chapter 14 of The Diamond Cross Mystery is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of The Diamond Cross Mystery is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement. The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them. Donovan sat down in a chair. "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs. "Do you mean that he's _dead_?"
Chapter 14 of The Diamond Cross Mystery is here in full — 213 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 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.
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading “"Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.”
plural of “cobweb” — a fabric so delicate and transparent as to resemble a web of a spider
From this reading “"Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.”
someone authorized to exercise the powers of sheriff in emergencies
From this reading “THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.”
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading “The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.”
take exception to
From this reading “THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.”
a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
From this reading “THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.”
not seen or perceived
From this reading “"Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.”
plural of “wire” — ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc
From this reading “THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.”
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 Donovan sat down in a chair.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Donovan sat down in a chair.
plural of “cobweb” — a fabric so delicate and transparent as to resemble a web of a spider
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading "Do you mean that he's _dead_?"
someone authorized to exercise the powers of sheriff in emergencies
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
take exception to
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Donovan sat down in a chair.
divisible by two
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Do you mean that he's _dead_?"
not accessible to view
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Donovan sat down in a chair.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
not any; not one
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
above and across; more than
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Donovan sat down in a chair.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
express in speech
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Do you mean that he's _dead_?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The detective even opened his lips to speak, but no sound came through them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
not seen or perceived
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
plural of “wire” — ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc
From this reading THE HIDDEN WIRES Donovan looked at the deputy as if about to dispute the statement.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Do you mean--" he asked, passing his hand over his face, as though to brush away unseen cobwebs.
Chapter 14 of The Diamond Cross Mystery by Chester K. Steele holds 213 sentences, grouped into 43 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 14 holds 213 sentences of The Diamond Cross Mystery, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of The Diamond Cross Mystery by Chester K. Steele exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 213 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 14 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 Diamond Cross Mystery by Chester K. Steele on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Diamond Cross Mystery section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Diamond Cross Mystery 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 Diamond Cross Mystery, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
