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The Social Gangster
The Social Gangster

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Social Gangster is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:
Mr. Craig Kennedy, New York.
I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.
BURKE.
"In a private sanitarium--will have her in New York tonight," reread Craig, studying the message.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Social Gangster

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Social Gangster is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:
/ðə dʒɜːrm ʌv ˈænθræks ɪt wɑːz nɑːt ənˈtɪl ðə ˈmɪdəl ʌv ðə ˌæftərˈnuːn ðæt ðer keɪm ə ˈsʌdən briːf ˈmesədʒ frʌm ðə ˈsiː.krət ˈsɜːrvəs ɪn ˈwɑːʃɪŋtən/
Line 2
Mr. Craig Kennedy, New York.
Line 3
I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.
Line 4
BURKE.
/bɜːrk/
Line 5
"In a private sanitarium--will have her in New York tonight," reread Craig, studying the message.

Learner Dictionary

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.

anthrax noun US /ˈænθræks/

a highly infectious animal disease (especially cattle and sheep); it can be transmitted to people

From this reading “THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:”

Baroness noun US /ˈberənɪs/

a noblewoman who holds the rank of baron or who is the wife or widow of a baron

From this reading “I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.”

burke noun US /bɜːrk/

British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)

From this reading “BURKE.”

germ noun US /dʒɜːrm/

anything that provides inspiration for later work

From this reading “THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:”

Kennedy noun US /ˈkenədi/

35th President of the United States; established the Peace Corps; assassinated in Dallas (1917-1963)

From this reading “Mr. Craig Kennedy, New York.”

located adjective US /ˈloʊkeɪtəd/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading “I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.”

reread verb US /ˈriːˈriːd/

read anew; read again

From this reading “"In a private sanitarium--will have her in New York tonight," reread Craig, studying the message.”

tonight adverb US /təˈnaɪt/

On the present night.

From this reading “I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

Secret Service noun + noun

the United States intelligence agency that protects current and former presidents and vice presidents and their immediate families and protects distinguished foreign visitors; detects and apprehends counterfeiters; suppresses forgery of government securities and documents

In this reading “THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:”

until the middle preposition + article + noun counted as “until … middle”

In this reading “THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:”

All words in this reading · 46

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

ANTHRAXnounUS /ˈænθræks/

a highly infectious animal disease (especially cattle and sheep); it can be transmitted to people

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

BaronessnounUS /ˈberənɪs/

a noblewoman who holds the rank of baron or who is the wife or widow of a baron

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

briefadjectiveUS /briːf/

of short duration or distance

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

BURKEnounUS /bɜːrk/

British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)

From this reading BURKE.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

Craig

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Mr. Craig Kennedy, New York.

Dorf

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

GERMnounUS /dʒɜːrm/

anything that provides inspiration for later work

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

KennedynounUS /ˈkenədi/

35th President of the United States; established the Peace Corps; assassinated in Dallas (1917-1963)

From this reading Mr. Craig Kennedy, New York.

locatedadjectiveUS /ˈloʊkeɪtəd/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Craig Kennedy, New York.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Mr. Craig Kennedy, New York.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

rereadverbUS /ˈriːˈriːd/

read anew; read again

From this reading "In a private sanitarium--will have her in New York tonight," reread Craig, studying the message.

sanitariumnoun

a hospital for recuperation or for the treatment of chronic diseases

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

SecretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

ServicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/

work done by one person or group that benefits another

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

studyingnounUS /ˈstʌdiɪŋ/

reading carefully with intent to remember

From this reading "In a private sanitarium--will have her in New York tonight," reread Craig, studying the message.

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

tonightadverbUS /təˈnaɪt/

On the present night.

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

Von

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

WashingtonnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋtən/

the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791

From this reading THE GERM OF ANTHRAX It was not until the middle of the afternoon that there came a sudden, brief message from the Secret Service in Washington:

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I have located the Baroness Von Dorf in a private sanitarium here and will have her in New York tonight by eight o'clock.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading Mr. Craig Kennedy, New York.

Chapter 15 of The Social Gangster by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve holds 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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.

What does chapter 15 of The Social Gangster contain?

Chapter 15 holds 131 sentences of The Social Gangster, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Social Gangster by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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.

How do I study chapter 15 of The Social Gangster?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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.

Can chapter 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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.

Questions about reading The Social Gangster

Common questions about reading The Social Gangster by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Social Gangster?

Yes. All 5473 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33466 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Social Gangster is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33466, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Social Gangster take to read?

About 456 minutes of reading across 1095 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Social Gangster section by section

How to work through The Social Gangster section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Social Gangster to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Social Gangster

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Social Gangster, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Worried
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Social Gangster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gloria
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Social Gangster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Professor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Social Gangster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kennedy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Social Gangster; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.