Chapter 26 of The Stowmarket Mystery is here in full — 74 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of The Stowmarket Mystery is here in full — 74 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HOLDEN'S STORY The long-nosed ex-sergeant entered. His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer. He was soiled and travel-stained. "Excuse my appearance," he said. "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
Chapter 26 of The Stowmarket Mystery is here in full — 74 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/14 · 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.
(of skin) deeply suntanned
From this reading “His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.”
accept an excuse for
From this reading “"Excuse my appearance," he said.”
vulnerability to the elements; to the action of heat or cold or wind or rain
From this reading “His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.”
a native or inhabitant of Italy
From this reading “His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.”
plural of “journey” — the act of traveling from one place to another
From this reading “His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.”
June 21, when the sun is at its northernmost point
From this reading “His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.”
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading “He was soiled and travel-stained.”
clean with some chemical process
From this reading “"I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.”
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 have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
later than; following
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading "Excuse my appearance," he said.
(of skin) deeply suntanned
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading HOLDEN'S STORY The long-nosed ex-sergeant entered.
divisible by two
From this reading "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOLDEN'S STORY The long-nosed ex-sergeant entered.
accept an excuse for
From this reading "Excuse my appearance," he said.
vulnerability to the elements; to the action of heat or cold or wind or rain
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was soiled and travel-stained.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOLDEN'S STORY The long-nosed ex-sergeant entered.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
a native or inhabitant of Italy
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
plural of “journey” — the act of traveling from one place to another
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOLDEN'S STORY The long-nosed ex-sergeant entered.
June 21, when the sun is at its northernmost point
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Excuse my appearance," he said.
not any; not one
From this reading "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Excuse my appearance," he said.
unhealthy looking
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
from a time in the past until now
From this reading "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading He was soiled and travel-stained.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading HOLDEN'S STORY The long-nosed ex-sergeant entered.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HOLDEN'S STORY The long-nosed ex-sergeant entered.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
soiled from travel
From this reading He was soiled and travel-stained.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His sallow face was browned after his long journeys and exposure to the Italian sun in midsummer.
clean with some chemical process
From this reading "I have had no time for even a wash since this morning.
Chapter 26 of The Stowmarket Mystery by Louis Tracy holds 74 sentences, grouped into 15 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 26 holds 74 sentences of The Stowmarket Mystery, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of The Stowmarket Mystery by Louis Tracy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 74 sentences, grouped into 15 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 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 15 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 26 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 Stowmarket Mystery by Louis Tracy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5201 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14853 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14853, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 433 minutes of reading across 1041 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Stowmarket Mystery section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Stowmarket 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 Stowmarket Mystery, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
