The Girls of Good Fortune

Celia rushes back to the Dewdrop and interrupts Lettie’s work with a patron to ask for help with the baby. Lettie fetches ice while Celia wipes Peal with water from the washbasin. Marie arrives, and predicts that a doctor could do nothing; she offers to help. Bringing needles, she asks if Celia trusts her to treat the baby. She then places the needles along Pearl’s back and spine. Celia believes that this treatment is “a frightening design that seemed straight from a book of witchcraft” (130).

Celia wakes on the floor of Lettie’s room to find that Pearl and Lettie are gone. Celia briefly fears fear that Pearl has died or that Marie has given her to an adoptive couple, but she soon finds Marie rocking and singing to the baby, who is healthy and alert. Marie says that her grandfather taught her how to use the needles while they worked at an orphanage in China. Marie allows Celia to continue as a housekeeper and says that she can also take up the baking duties. Celia reflects that she never thought she would call a brothel her home.

Celia reads in the newspapers about the Haymarket Affair—a clash between police and labor activists in Chicago. Portland hosts a rally in support of establishing a holiday called Labor Day. One day, Lettie and Celia visit the park, with Celia pushing the five-month-old Pearl in a baby carriage. Regarding Labor Day, Lettie remarks that she can’t imagine Marie giving her girls a day off, and Celia reflects that such movements exclude Chinese laborers, who are still forcibly removed or discriminated against. Celia enjoys Lettie’s company and muses that “[w]hile the nature of Lettie’s work was still unsettling […], she couldn’t help but admire the way [Lettie] carried herself. Assured. Without apology” (137).

Celia is delighted when Pearl laughs. Looking around, she suddenly sees Edwin Bettencourt and wonders if he will want to meet Pearl. When Celia approaches, she sees that he is surrounded by leaders of the Knights of Labor movement, an organization of individuals who have expressed the desire to exclude Chinese laborers from jobs. One such member is Sylvester Pennoyer, who has spoken publicly about removing those “tainted—his choice of word—by Chinese blood” (140). While the mayor never admitted to sharing their opinions, he still accepts the support of these men. With them is Gordon Humphrey, who has also been vocal in expressing sentiments of anti-Chinese racism. Celia turns away.

Harriet, one of the sex workers at the Dewdrop, summons Celia to perform housekeeping duties. Celia reflects that Pearl will soon be turning two. As she gazes at her sleeping daughter, she hopes that soon she will “be settled in a far better place. A true home” (143). As she steps outside, Celia sees a young man with a revolver. He appears intent on dying by suicide. The young man, whose name is Frank, says he is tormented by memories of his involvement in a murder of Chinese gold miners in Dead Line Creek. He names the men involved and says that their gang of horse thieves decided to rob the miners and ended up killing them. They mutilated the bodies and tossed them in the river. Frank says that somehow, up until that moment, he “saw them people as different as can be. Somehow not… human” (147). Celia is stunned by this description of slaughter. Another man calls him Vaughan, and Frank leaves. Celia weeps.

Celia awakens to a rocking sensation and realizes that she is on a ship.

The narrative shifts back in time four months to note that even though it has been almost two years since she encountered Frank Vaughan, Celia still has nightmares about her father being caught up in violence. She feels the urge to do something about Frank Vaughan’s confession and remembers reading about the incident in The Oregonian. When she goes to the police to report what she learned, she speaks to an Officer Glenn and discovers that he is not disposed to investigate the crime. Instead, he hints that Celia is an unreliable witness because she works at a brothel.

Lettie cannot understand why Celia is taking news of this crime so personally, and Celia accuses Lettie of not caring about the crime because the victims were not white. Celia reveals that one of the miners killed in Rock Springs was dear to her; she laments that no one was ever punished for those crimes.

Celia deduces that Frank works around horses, so she asks around at the feedstore in order to find the ranch where he works. Leaving Pearl with Lettie, she visits the ranch and confronts Frank, who doesn’t acknowledge that he knows her. Celia urges him to deliver justice on behalf of the slain miners or at least their loved ones. Other men approach, and Frank suggests that Celia leave.

Celia hears nothing from Officer Glen or Frank. When she goes to the feed store again, she learns that Frank has moved on to another position. Though disappointed by this news, Celia realizes that because she is “Pearl’s sole protector as of yet,” it is vital that she “let the issue go” (176).

Celia takes Pearl to Portland’s City Park and watches as the girl feeds the ducks by the pond. She feels extra concern for Pearl because of the increasing racism against anyone with even one-quarter Chinese heritage. She wonders how long she can keep the truth of Pearl’s heritage hidden and realizes that it will be important to instruct Pearl to be demure and ladylike so that she will not draw attention to herself. Celia encounters Abigail Bettencourt, who is nearly 17 now. Abigail advises Celia to move on with her life. When Abigail sees Pearl, Celia reflects that they, too, have an unacknowledged relationship. Abigal says that Stephen is returning home for a visit and is engaged to marry the daughter of their father’s friend.

Celia realizes that she is on the hold of a ship and thinks they are docked on the Willamette. She worries about what has happened to Pearl. As she climbs onto the deck, she hears seagulls and realizes that she is trapped at sea.