"Then we went to live in the new house at 308 Ashland
avenue. There my troubles began afresh, and grew until
1888. The newspaper stories have dwelt at great length on
insinuations of my conduct with a priest for whom I was
said to have built a chapel in my house. Nothing could be
more preposterous on the face of it, as any Roman Catholic
will tell you. The church does not sanction the erection
of altars, the giving of communion, and the receiving of
confessions in private homes. Dispensations for temporary
masses can be obtained in rare instances.
"There was a priest named Father Price, from Asheville, N.
C., who was raising money for his church in Chicago. We
gave a recital that netted him $500, after which he was a
guest for two weeks at our house.
"He obtained a dispensation to say mass a few times, and
did so before a temporary saint's altar set on a bureau.
When he departed the altar went with him, and that is as
close as we ever came to having a private chapel in our
house.
"The French priest with whom I was said to have eloped was
Father Moysant. He never said a mass in our house, and I
never knew him except as one of the priests of the parish
who were entertained frequently by Mr. McDonald.