Vector::push_back - why does this not crash

Hello !

I have an MFC app ( I know this is C++ area, but it involves vectors which are C++ :) ) that has a dialog.  Now the user adds input to the dialogue which is stored in a structure.  In my main app, I then say something like

CMyDialog dlg;
if (dlg.DoModal() == IDOK) {
  // Get the structure
  MyStructure s = dlg.GetStructure();
  vectorObject.push_back(s)
}

Ok.  Now where I thought a problem would lie is the fact that

CMyDialog::GetStructure() is defined as

MyStructure& GetStructure() { return m_structure; }  ###

where

MyStructure m_structure

is a member variable.

Surely ### is returning a reference to *a local object* hence I am adding a temporary object to vectorObject that should be destroyed as soon as dlg goes out of scope !  But this is not the case !  All structures added to vectorObject remain throughout the lifetime of the application !

I figured this was since push_back adds a copy of the object passed to it, but the dox do not say this.  They also say that push_back takes a reference in itself....surely this complicates it further !?

Why is this ?

(Appologies in advance if I am having a dumb moment...)