Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-09
BRANDY AND THE BUTLER
Mrs. Paran Stevens Figures In
 a One Act Farce.
ALL NEWPORT IS LAUGHING AT IT
The New Butler Was Accused of Stealing Dock Samples Brandy. Worth Its Weight In GoId-The Bottle Was Found, but the Discharged Butler Sues For Damages.

Discharged Butler Sues For Damages.
 NEWPORT, R. l., Aug 9.-A bottle of brandy is at the bottom of the latest piece of society gossip, and it was the very finest brandy ever imported too. Mrs. Paran Stevens who owned it. declared 1t was worth its weight in gold, It was of the kind known as Dock Samples,
 It is probable that never before did Q bottle of brandy figure in a society story in so innocent a fashion. for there Is no scandal attached to the tale but only an gry words, accusations and protcstations and much deep mystery, the clearing up of which has provoked a storm of ridicule and laughter and some rcminiscences and incidentally lawsuit. And the brandy bottle has not been emptied yet.
 Today all Newport, with the exception of Edwin Burge, Mrs. Stevens ex-butler, laughs.
 Mir. Burge had been head butler at Marietta villa only five days when the Pandora bottle of brandy was opened, and the evil spirits and spirits of discord gath cred around his head. Last Friday week the guests at the villa included Mir. Beau mont of England and Mrs. Edward La denburg of New York, whose husband is the head of the Wall street banking firm of Ladenburg, Thalman X Co. of i6 Wall street.
 The Trouble Bursts.
 A large and elaborate dinner in their honor was served by Head Butler Burge with much skill and due solemnity. As function it was q great success, but i'm mediately after its conclusion Mrs Laden burg, whose health has been delicate for somo time past, was seized with an at tack of faintness and begged for some brandy.
 No brandy was procurable in the dining room, and Mrs. Stevens wont up stairs to her own apartments for the stimulant. The bottle of Dock Samples she produced was a present from a London friend, and tho hostess declared that every drop was q pearl, and that such things as cross words were unknown between the neck and tho bottom. It was good brandy, and 1t had the desired effect. Tho Dock Samples was praised and discussed. and then the talk turned to other things and in duo course , of time the household was closed up for l the night It must have been under cover of the darkness that the Pandora imps l took shape and form and began to do | business.
 The next morning Mrs stevens and the head butler met in the dining room. Mrs. Stevens glanced at tho sidcbOard. exam incd pottcd palm that stood in the win dow, darted glances about the room. turned a shade palcr, opened her eyes a bit wider and at last turned on the butler
 Where is that brandy" she demanded angrily.
 MT. Burgo responded solcmnly, and 1 with an air of truth mixed with well bred surprise said that he had not socn 1t since the previous evening.
 What gaspcd Mrs. Stevens. Then she took breath, and with n rapid opera ton of memory arrived at n deduction that for its simplicity and suddenncss would havo startled the closest friends | and admirers of Sherlock Holmes. She declared that tho brandy had been stolen and that Mir Burgo was the thief. The storm Cloud Ear-ts- In a solemn and well bred way the but Ter announced himself mortified at tho nc 1 cusation. He did not weep and wail and wiring his hands Iike n maid whom Mrs. | Stevens once charged with stealing her diamonds. In fact, he was not in Mrs. Stevens employ at that never to- be for l gotten-in- society time when all Newport | was in a tuIAult until the gems were found in n neat brown paper parcel tied with twino under Mrs. stevens pillow, where she had placed them. Mir. Burgo contented himself with entering n gentle and general denial of any knowledge whatsoever of the Dock Samples.
 Il will give you one hour in which to produce that brandy or elsc to leave my service forever" was Mrs. stevens i'm. passioned declaration. Mir. Burge, not knowing where the bottle was, failed to produce 1t.
 MT. Burge emerged from tho villa strip ped of the yellow jacket ut the end of the hour. and he wont immediately to the office of Lawyer F. Calvin. He has be- gun suit for salary and for damages for defamation of character.
 But the bottle of brandy-oh. yes. Mrs. Ladenburg's maid came down stairs with 1t few moments after the head buffers dismissal Mrs. Stevens in tho morning wns sure she had hidden 1t behind the palm in the dining room for safe keeping over night She really quite forgot that by her own suggestion 1t had been re- tained in Mrs. Ladenburg's room in cast of a second fainting attack.
 The case of Burgc versus Stevens will be tried in November
 Mrs. Stevens was back from New fork and out driving on Bellevue avenue to day. A new butler has been engaged and Marietta villa Is peaceful as a sum mer's day in the country