In the morning he was not.
At first we were not seriously alarmed.

Paddy was no roving Thomas, but occasionally he vanished for a day or so.

But when two days passed without his return we became anxious, the third day worried us greatly, and the fourth found us distracted.
"Something has happened to Pat," the Story Girl declared miserably.

"He never stayed away from home more than two days in his life." "What could have happened to him ?" asked Felix.
"He's been poisoned--or a dog has killed him," answered the Story Girl in tragic tones.
Cecily began to cry at this; but tears were of no avail.

Neither was anything else, apparently.