Chapter 1 of Walker of the Secret Service is here in full — 318 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Walker of the Secret Service is here in full — 318 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
See https:// D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair. He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs. Nothing had escaped me. I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
Chapter 1 of Walker of the Secret Service is here in full — 318 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/63 · 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 narrow street with walls on both sides
From this reading “He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.”
English physicist remembered for his studies of the ionosphere (1892-1966)
From this reading “D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.”
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading “D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.”
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading “D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.”
past form of “display” — to show, make visible or apparent
From this reading “I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.”
coated with paint
From this reading “He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.”
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading “He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.”
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading “D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.”
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 canvas tent to house the audience at a circus performance
In this reading “D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.”
In this reading “He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.”
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 D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
a narrow street with walls on both sides
From this reading He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
English physicist remembered for his studies of the ionosphere (1892-1966)
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
past form of “display” — to show, make visible or apparent
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading Nothing had escaped me.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Nothing had escaped me.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading See https://
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
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 He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Nothing had escaped me.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
not any; not one
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Nothing had escaped me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
coated with paint
From this reading He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading See https://
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
in or at that place or location
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He sat at the end of the long alley, which was hung with painted signs.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading I had no money to see any wonder, and so had to be content with what was displayed outside.
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 D. Appleton and Company New York :: London :: MCMXXIV Near the entrance of the great circus tent there was a little man in a canvas chair.
Chapter 1 of Walker of the Secret Service by Melville Davisson Post holds 318 sentences, grouped into 64 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 1 holds 318 sentences of Walker of the Secret Service, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Walker of the Secret Service by Melville Davisson Post exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 318 sentences, grouped into 64 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 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 64 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 1 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 Walker of the Secret Service by Melville Davisson Post on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3997 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62740 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #62740, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 333 minutes of reading across 800 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Walker of the Secret Service section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Walker of the Secret Service 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 Walker of the Secret Service, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
