Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-14
but he added this paragraph, which some
what spoiled the rest

would always rather give than receive.
And, indeed, to receive benefits from those
whom she loved was always a matter of
some pain to her. The letter set her
imagination ablaze. She seemed to hear
the sneers Of those who laughed at the
clever way in which she had feathered her
nest-the mastery manner in which she
had got around the old man, so that he
should leave her his splendid legacy and
she seemed to hear the reproaches of those
members of the family who had incurred
expense without remuneration, and who,
therefore, naturally expected to receive
Whatever there might be to leave. 1t
would be dishonorable to accept this be-
quest it would be mean and selfish and
unworthy. Mr.. Maze was quite right. 1t
was her duty to renounce it. Whereupon
she wrote an impulsive letter, full of high
feeling and self.abnegation, and gave up
her legacy for the sake of those undesig
mated members to whom it rightfully be-
longed. And she thanked Mr.. Maze for
his kindness in telling her the truth.
When he read that letter, Maze laughed
softy to himself and passed the box
through the custom. house.
Linda did not regret what she had done
those who act from principle never do
but she was certainly rather surprised not
to receive word of thanks, nor even of ac-
acknowledgement, from any one. Even Maze
did not reply, and certainly no member of
the family here or elsewhere sent her line
She let the thing pass, not troubling much
about it; only thinking to herself that
they were not quite SO courteous to her as
she would have been to them, had their
positions been reversed and that she did
not envy them their manners.
The kaleidoscope of time changed all
matters for both Linda and Mr.. Maze.
| The former went to Tours, the latter came
to England, where one of his pictures struck
| the public taste, so that he suddenly be-
came a celebrity where formerly he had
been unknown by one-half of the world
and laughed at by the other. He was now
said to paint pictures unsurpassed by any
of the dead, unattainable by any of the
living, masters. His obscure tints and
strange contortions were extolled to the
ekies and money poured like water from
an artesian well in the former dry bucket
| of his shallow purse. His house became
the rendezvous Of all the big-wigs of society,
and such of the little fry as could get an
| invitation; and he who had been one Of
the most industrious of toadies of his time
was, in his turn, the most industriously
| toadied. He gave grand receptions and se-
lect parties he went everywhere and re-
ceived everyone aud his house, with its
artistic furniture and perfect arrangement,
| was the talk of the multitude who thronged
! there.
But of all his fine possessions, nothing
was 80 fine as that noble buffet of old silver
cups and hagons, which formed the most
striking feature of the whole.
Many collector enyied that buffet and
some asked anxiously where he had found
them. To which he would answer care
lessly that he had picked them up in old
secondhand shops in London and the
provinces having made his collection since
he settled here. The things were French,
all of them, but that did not prevent their
having been bought second hand in London
and the provinces. How else, indeed, could
they have been picked up: Maze had not
one of them while he lived at Tours. How
else, then, could he have collected them,
save by careful scrutiny of old bric-a-brac
shops in England aud cleverly understand
ing good things when he saw them?
But the odd part of the matter was
they were all like poor old Mr.. Walters
collection and all like the legacy left to
Linda and renounced for honorable CON-
pensation to those members of the family
who had been put to expense without re-
muneration.
"God bless my soul, this is very like old
Walters Michael Angelo ?" cried one
who knew, taking up a certain coarsely-
wrought but effective cup. "And could
swear this was the .Cellini he used to be
of ~ tb;o ~ ba odIaI
rapidly running over the various pieces,
while Maze stood by, quite calm and
smiling.
"Yes," he answered. "They are his.
They found their way in some odd manner
over here and l recognized them for my
old friends favorites and picked them up
wherever saw them.
"Who inherited them ?" asked Hard.
man, the man who knew.
"Well," said Maze, with the shy look
of good man caught out in a virtuous
action which he had wished to keep secret,
"to tell the truth, Hardman, they were
left to me. / implored the dear old man
not to make such an invidious distinction
in favor of an outsider, to let the sleeper
wear the night-cap, and short.coat go to
the dancing. booth, as arranged by the eter.
nal harmonies of things but you know
how arbitrary he was-how he took the
cord and chain into his own hands and
would not be led nor driven? He would
not listen to me and these things were
assigned to meas a mark OF his graft
tude for all that / had done for him. He
said this more than once, and to please
him | consented and SO let him die enthu.
sssticalIy OF course, when all was over
passed them on to certain members OF his
own family. And they must have sold
them. Finding them scattered all abroad,
like Osiris's members, made it point Of
conscience to re-collect them. / bought
them up, no matter what the price. 1t
was labor Of love, transcending filthy
lucre. Here you have the whole history.
Simple enough when you come to the pith
and marrow Of it.
"You are noble fellow, Mr.. Maze"
said Mr.. Hardman.
at was only loyal and honorable" said
Maze, with the diguified humility Of con-
scious virtue.
At Tours Linda went to see Miss Wal
ters, the only representative left OF the
dead masters family. In the course OF
conversation Linda asked, " Which mem.
Der of the family received that box of
silver bequeathed TO me by dear old friend
and master
"What box what silver ?" asked Miss
Walters.
"Those cups and fagons which he had>
at Fairfield. They were left to me, in the
care of Mr.. Maze, but he wrote to me and
asked me to give them up in favor OF Ger
tain members of the family who had in
CURED expense, and ought to be remuner.
ated. OF course did but never heard
a word from any one, and am curious to
know who bad them"
"My father left you a box Of silver which
Mr.. Maze asked you to give up! +"
"Yes."
''For the family"
Yes"
"The old rascal - shouted Miss Wal
terra. She had inherited her fathers tenn
per as well as his smile. Not member
of our family had one single cup or vase
and we never knew what be had done with
them ALL Be sure. Linda, that old fox has
taken them for himself. He worked on
your feelings to make you give them up
and then he secured them.
"Oh, Miss Walters, is it possible ?"
cried that foolish Linda. beginning to cry.
81 am sure Of it. child. When you go
to London, see if Maze has not some fine
old cups and things which he will account
for in some extraordinary manner. know
him :" said Miss Walters, contemptuously.
81 know what he is capable Of. 1t were
wonder if / did not.
But Linda could scarcely believe that
any man in Maze's position could be guilty
of such glaring piece of iniquity, and one
which, if she chose, she could at any time
make public; for we can scarcely under
stand in others those things Of which we
ourselves could not be guilty. Neverthe-
less, there the matter stands. Maze, the
noted genre painter, has buffet full of
rare old silver cups and hagons, recogniz.
able by those who knew as having once be.
longed to Mr.. Walters. And Linda lost
her legacy.