Hales, the butler, remarked that the mistress seemed a bit anxious and didn't eat much food.

The evening wore on and Mr.Morton did not appear.

At nine o'clock the young footman was dispatched to the station to make inquiries whether his master had been seen there in the afternoon, or whether--which Heaven forbid--there had been an accident on the line.
The young man interviewed two or three porters, the bookstall boy, and ticket clerk; all were agreed that Mr.Morton did not go up to London during the day; no one had seen him within the precincts of the station.
There certainly had been no accident reported either on the up or down line.
"But the morning of the 18th came, with its initial postman's knock, but neither Mr.Morton nor any sign or news from him.

Mrs.Morton, who evidently had spent a sleepless night, for she looked sadly changed and haggard, sent a wire to the hall porter at the large building in Cannon Street, where her husband had his office.

An hour later she had the reply: 'Not seen Mr.Morton all day yesterday, not here to-day.' By the afternoon every one in Brighton knew that a fellow-resident had mysteriously disappeared from or in the city.
"A couple of days, then another, elapsed, and still no sign of Mr.
Morton.