Chapter 9 of The Vertical City is here in full — 397 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Vertical City is here in full — 397 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Pay? Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie. "I'd save a dog from you." "Then save--her--from me." The terrible had happened so quietly.
Chapter 9 of The Vertical City is here in full — 397 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading “"I'd save a dog from you."”
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading “The terrible had happened so quietly.”
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading “Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.”
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading “"Pay?”
with low volume
From this reading “The terrible had happened so quietly.”
except for; apart from
From this reading “"I'd save a dog from you."”
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading “Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.”
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading “The terrible had happened so quietly.”
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'd save a dog from you."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
for the reason that
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading "I'd save a dog from you."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "I'd save a dog from you."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The terrible had happened so quietly.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading The terrible had happened so quietly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Then save--her--from me."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'd save a dog from you."
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Then save--her--from me."
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading "Pay?
with low volume
From this reading The terrible had happened so quietly.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
except for; apart from
From this reading "I'd save a dog from you."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The terrible had happened so quietly.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading The terrible had happened so quietly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The terrible had happened so quietly.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then save--her--from me."
in or at that place or location
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Why, Hattie--I want you--back--" She could have cried because, as she sat there blackly, she was sick with his lie.
Chapter 9 of The Vertical City by Fannie Hurst holds 397 sentences, grouped into 80 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 9 holds 397 sentences of The Vertical City, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Vertical City by Fannie Hurst exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 397 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 9 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 Vertical City by Fannie Hurst on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5193 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12659 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12659, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 432 minutes of reading across 1039 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Vertical City section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Vertical City 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 Vertical City, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
