The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-26
HOUSE oF gEALEp eHAMRERg.


 John MacFarlane, the Lake Ainslie widower." has painted one more room of his house in mourning and has mar ried again. Several neighbors have seen the room say it is a duplicate of six other rooms. and that the sight of them gives one the creeps. The new Mrs. McFarlane, who was Ruth Nc Donald, daughter of Donald Mcdonald, is the eighth mistress who has ruled over the house Of MaeFarlane in the last forty years. She is 20 years old and pretty. He is 61 years old, and handsome only in the size of the check he can sign his name to. This disparity in their ages has no dampening effect upon their happi- ness.
 MaeFarlane is the oldest character in the Lake Ainsite district, settlement of Cape Breton Island made up of Scotch Presbyterians, who are so ortho- dox that they will not allow even an or- gan in the church. He is rich as riches are accounted there, and has made good husband to his successive wives, whom he dressed and bonneted to the envy of the rest of community feminine.
 He was married at the age of 20 to Mary Mclean and lived happily un~ til the first heir to the house of Mac Farlane was born, eoincident with the mothers death. He immediately went into deep mourning and remained a re- cluse until year from the day his wife died. He celebrated hls return to so- ciety by inviting all his neighbors to banquet.
 Dinner was served in the death cham- Der. The walls were papered in pure white and the ceiling was white also. But every bit of woodwork was painted deep black. Six epitaphs adorned the walls and all about were pictures of fiy- ing angels. The host attempted to dis- pei the gloom cast by these surround ings by reciting anecdotes of his de- parted wife and otherwise making him self entertaining. He madeAn no allusion to or explanation of the decorations
 Shortly afterwards MaeFarlane mar ried Margaret Elfatriek. Prior to the wedding he required her to make oath before a notary public that she never MOQAo BO3 IIllO lllS lOQllA HIS AiASL 5MllC had occupied or refer to her in any way. He took a similar VOW. Two months later the second Mrs. MacFarlane met death by trying to row across the lake in storm.
 Again the widower went into seclu- sion, but this time only for six months. Then he gave a second banquet, and his guests were served in a, second room, decorated after the manner of the first. In addition, however, were menu cards with black borders and bearing hand sketched tombstones upon which were inscribed. When the guests left the house, after listening to witty stories relating to Mrs. MacFarlane No ?, they observed that two black stripes had been painted on white hitching post in front.
 MacFarlane married a third time, and for three years his life was common place. When on a visit in Halifax the third wife died of diphtheria MacFar- lane was So upset he took to his bed.
 When he got well he decorated an- other room in mourning and invited his friends to strawberry festival. It was not long before MacF Farlane was hitohed up again. The bride was a girl from Sydney, who hadn't heard of the pre- #yious wives. When she reached the house and found three chambers locked. her curiosity got the better of her. She broke into one, and the sight So shocked her that she went home to her mother. While she was taking steps to procure a legal separation she died of pneu- nonia, and another room in MacFar- lanes house was decorated. This was half in black and half in a brilliant red, as MacFarlane said the. young woman had made but half q wife.
 Three other wives followed in fairly rapid succession. Two died natural deaths and the third committed sui- eide The memorial room for the lat ter was decorated with crude pictures of Inferno. Chicago Tribune Special.