The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-27
TOPEKA MANS BREAK.
Didn't Know Suzanne Adams Was
Wife of Leo Stern.

A week ago the Suzanne Adams Con-
cert company made its appearance in
Topeka. Although no effort is being
made to conceal from the public the
fact that the prima donna is the wife
of Leo Stern. the cello virtuoso whose
playing is a very pleasing part of the
entertainment given by the company,
not many people were acquainted with
it. There is in Topeka a teacher of the
violin who has made a special study
of instrument construction and has.
himself, made and sold several fine in
struments.
To him the playing of Herr Stern was
the pleasing part of the concert pro-
gramme and moved by the enthusiasm
aroused during the evening at the Audi
forum, he determined to make a per-
sonal call upon the artist on the fol-
lowing morning. He found him in the
lobby of his hotel and introduced him.
self. Stern accepted his complimentary
remarks about his concert numbers with
manifest pleasure and cordially con-
scented to display the instrument upon
which he had played. He was proud
of the big fiddle. 1t is worth $4,000 OF
anyone's money and there is perhaps
only one superior instrument to it in
America.
Stern led the way to his room up
stairs and opened the door AS he was
about to follow in, the Topeka artist,
| looking over the others shoulder ahead,
| discovered in the room a. woman in the
most abject of early morning dishabille.
| The Topeka man hesitated: but Stern
evidently expected him to enter and he
| did so without ado. The woman was
unconcerned. The woman gave him an
unconcerned glance and showed back a
| tangfe of unkempt and uncombed hair
which draggled drearily down over the
shoulder of a decidedly ''mussy" looking
dressing gown She was lounging in a
chair and speedily resumed her reading
after the two men entered. In a moment
| Stern had lovingly drawn forth his eel
10 from its wrappings and had placed il
in the hands of the admiring violinisi
who examined it lovingly and apprecia-
lively for a few minutes.
| How did you like the concerto" in
quired Stern. hungry for more praise
peka man. Il should like to tell you
have rarely enjoyed anything more thar
violin enables me, think. to really ap,
preciate good violin music of any sort ant
I liked yours especially"
But the vocal music. persisted the con
cert player. Did you not like the sing
| i7FTranlkly. I did not" returned the Wis
itor Much to his amazement Stern threw
back his head and emitted a ha-ha of un
comfortable amusement, while from tn
cided 'humph' of feminine disapproVal
The Topeka man was mystihed, but h
was interested in the instrument he helt
and returned to the discussion of its mer
it's. But presently Stern drew him bacl
to the. concert of the night before ans
pressed him further for his opinion of tn,
vocal numbers, particularly of the worl
of the prima donna. With the ingenious
ness of a true critic the Topeka musician
told exactly what he thought and man,
1 of the things that he said were not fiat
tering to the efforts of Nine. Adams Th'
woman in the room was displeased 9
something and once or twice interrupted
the conversation with sarcastic common
upon the lack of appreciation of audi
ences in the woolly west
When the Topeka man had finished AM
had left he walked down the stree
| thoughttuly. What occasioned the asper
ity of the woman in the room. puzzled
MIN Finally he decided to go back an'
inquire her identity.
who was the woman in the room will
Mr. Stern?" repeated the hotel clerk
why, his wife. of course
His wife?' questioned the artist vague
ly-
over here at the Auditorium last night