Chapter 8 of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb is here in full — 269 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb is here in full — 269 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly. “I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about. “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room. “I was told you were here,—in hiding!” Elsie exclaimed, excitedly.
Chapter 8 of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb is here in full — 269 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/53 · 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.
for a short time
From this reading ““I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about.”
with excitement; in an excited manner
From this reading “Elsie exclaimed, excitedly.”
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading “COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.”
the activity of keeping something secret
From this reading ““I was told you were here,—in hiding!””
possessive form of “lloyd” — United States comic actor in silent films; he used physical danger as a source of comedy (1893-1971)
in a cheerful manner
From this reading “COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.”
United States general who was the first African American to serve as chief of staff; later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush (born 1937)
From this reading ““Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.”
Scottish insurgent who led the resistance to Edward I; in 1297 he gained control of Scotland briefly until Edward invaded Scotland again and defeated Wallace and subsequently executed him (1270-1305)
From this reading ““Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.”
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.
a young female
In this reading “COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.”
reach a destination, either real or abstract
In this reading “COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.”
In this reading ““Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.”
quietly in concealment
In this reading ““I was told you were here,—in hiding!””
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
for a short time
From this reading “I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
with excitement; in an excited manner
From this reading Elsie exclaimed, excitedly.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading Elsie exclaimed, excitedly.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.
the activity of keeping something secret
From this reading “I was told you were here,—in hiding!”
where you live at a particular time
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.
possessive form of “lloyd” — United States comic actor in silent films; he used physical danger as a source of comedy (1893-1971)
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading “I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.
used to form the superlative
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.
in a cheerful manner
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
United States general who was the first African American to serve as chief of staff; later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush (born 1937)
From this reading “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I came to see Mr. Courtney,” Elsie said, briefly, looking about.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “I was told you were here,—in hiding!”
Scottish insurgent who led the resistance to Edward I; in 1297 he gained control of Scotland briefly until Edward invaded Scotland again and defeated Wallace and subsequently executed him (1270-1305)
From this reading “Here I am, Miss Powell,” and Wallace Courtney came in from the next room.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I was told you were here,—in hiding!”
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “I was told you were here,—in hiding!”
at the time that
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I was told you were here,—in hiding!”
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading COURTNEY’S TALK When Elsie arrived at Lulie Lloyd’s home, that young woman greeted her most pleasantly.
Chapter 8 of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb by Rowland Wright holds 269 sentences, grouped into 54 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 8 holds 269 sentences of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb by Rowland Wright exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 269 sentences, grouped into 54 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 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 54 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 8 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 Disappearance of Kimball Webb by Rowland Wright on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4813 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59060 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59060, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 401 minutes of reading across 963 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Disappearance of Kimball Webb section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Disappearance of Kimball Webb 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 Disappearance of Kimball Webb, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
