An Oregon Girl: A Tale of American Life in the New WestRice, Alfred Ernest
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An Oregon Girl: A Tale of American Life in the New West
Rice, Alfred Ernest
Oregon -- Fiction; Western stories; Women pioneers -- Fiction
It was a favor of fate that placed them at that moment alone with the
child, for whom Virginia was prepared to sacrifice her life to rescue.
A decree that paid homage to the act of a heroine.
True, the unhappy cause that impelled her to act was indirectly of her
own making, and a sense of justice and remorse urged her to remedy it.
Nevertheless the act itself, for daring the rescue, was most heroic.
When Constance threw her hands out to clasp Dorothy, the child
awakened with a start, and at the same time the match light became
extinguished.
After her prayer, Dorothy laid down on the bunk without undressing, as
had been her custom, since in the custody of Jack, and almost
immediately fell asleep.
Her guileless little heart, cherishing confidence in his promise,
provoked a smile of spiritual beauty that settled on her sweet young
face--unflect by earthly misgivings. As she slept there came into her
dream a vision of terraces, grown over with lovely flowers, and there
were green, grassy plots and gorgeous colored butterflies darting in
and out among the flowers and golden sunshine. And out from somewhere,
in the serene hazy distance, came the silvery song of her own canary
bird. Where? And as she looked and listened, a butterfly, oh, so large
and beautiful, with semi-transparent rose, pearl wings dotted and
fringed with emerald gems, hovered tantalizingly near her. She was
tempted to catch it, but each time, though perilously near, it evaded
her tiny clutch, and so drew her on over velvety lawns and grassy
slopes to a babbling brook.
The prismatic winged thing fluttered over some pebbles and alighted on
a slender willow twig. She stood on a stone, reached out to clutch the
beauty, and just as her little fingers were about to close on it, the
voice of her mother rang out in frantic warning--"Dorothy! Dorothy!"
And then her foot slipped, and as she was falling she felt herself
suddenly clasped in strong arms, and borne upward, to awake with the
cry of "Dorothy" ringing in her ears.
For a moment or two the child lay perfectly still, then gradually to
her returning senses, the room smelled of tobacco smoke, and supposing
that it was her captor's hand that clasped her face, said: "Oh, Mr.
Golda, the room is full of smoke!"
"Hush, dear," cautioned Virginia. "Your mother and Aunt Virginia are
here."
"Oh, Mamma and Aunty!" joyfully exclaimed Dorothy, for she recognized
Virginia's well-known voice, and sitting up, said:
"You've come to take me home, haven't you?"
Again the match light faded out.
The voice of Dorothy seemed to thrill Constance with new energy, for,
with a frantic effort, she partially recovered her composure. She
struggled to her feet, and in a rapture of thanksgiving, folded the
child to her heart.
"Oh, my darling, my darling, please God, they shall never take you
from me again. No, never again." And she kissed her with a passionate
joy, such as only a fond mother can feel for her helpless infant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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