The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-07
PASTOR AND FAIR CHOIR
SINGER SOUGHT IN VAIN.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
New York, June 6 1T IS now three months
since Minnie Stalker went out of the life Of
George Davis, and the circumstances OF
her disappearance were such that they
might well have brought a bitterness into
lis heart and destroyed all love for her. but
he still longs for her return-longs to take
her in his arms and tell her that he freely
forgIves her the pain she has caused him.
He has done everything that lies within his
means to do to find some trace of the miss
ing woman, who was his wife. although
at the tire OF h'r disappearance they were
Pretty Minnie Stalker" they called her.
Strangely enough, on the same day that
Minnie Stalker disappeared the Reverend
II. A johnson left town. There We're those.
of course. who at once connected the disap-
oearance of these two and the wife was
forced to give some Credence to the rumorS
that fioated about the town. But no word
has been heard from either sipce the day
of their strange d -parture, and>neither has
had an opportunity TO speak a word of de-
Tense or to explain away what, after all.
may have been only coincidence.
The career Of the Reverend Mr.. johnson
to this country from Ireland when young.
and was educated here. He began work as
a clerk in the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Com
pany in New York. and while thus employed
he Is said to have married. Two children
were born. but what has become OF this
wife. whether she be dead or divorced. Mr..
Ject which he always declined to discuss.
No one knew what had become OF the chill
dren.
After time he saved enough money to
open q small grocery store, and 1t was there
that he met tho woman who is now his
wife. She was Carrie Urban. a native. of
Sullivan County. who had gone to New
York to seek employment as domestic. and
had found place in the neighborhood of
Johnson's little store. They were married,
and together they ran the grocery.
BECOMES A MINISTER.
Johnson had always wished to enter the
ministry, and hi: wife. ambitious for him.
urged him to take the little money which
she had helped him to save and fit himself
for the pulpit. BY the self-deniaI and un-
selfish work Of his wife he was enabled to
take orders, and then the little shop was
closed, and they went to live at the home
Of the woman's parents in Roscoe, where
ne started his career as country preacher.
He was earnest and soon became popular.
Through the efforts of Congregational
minister he secured the appointment to
There he took up his life as a preacher OF
the gospel in earnest and with his family
resided there for five and half years. He
now had two children, ten and eleven years
old. He began to wish for a wider field
and during a visit here in January, 1902
he SO impressed the officers of the Con-
gregationai Church that he was engaged as
pastor and entered his new duties in
February of that year.
Under his ministration the church grew
in size and influence and he was regarded
as a successful man with q future-2f great
promise. His trusting wife watched his
successful career with pardonable pride. for
had she not helped to make him what he
was?