wers."

"Ye mustn't let thot worry yez, me b'y."

"I can't help it."

"She may be home by this toime."

"And she may be in desperate need of a helping hand."

"Av she is, Oi dunno how ye can hilp her, Frankie."

"Nor do I know of any way. Why should any one kidnap her?"

"Oi dunno."

"It would be a most daring thing to do, as she is so well known; but
there are daring and desperate ruffians in New Orleans."

"Oi think ye're roight, me b'y."

"It may be that she has been persecuted so that she fled of her own
accord, and yet I hardly think that is true."

"No more do Oi, Frankie."

"If it is not true, surely she is in trouble."

"Well?"

"Oh, I can't remain quietly here, knowing she may need aid!"

"Pwhat will yez do?"

"I am going out."

"Where?"

"Somewhere--anywhere! Will you come along?"

"Sure, me b'y, Oi'm wid yez firrust, larrust, an' all th' toime!"

CHAPTER XXI.

FRANK'S BOLD MOVE.

The professor declined to go out. He returned to bed, and the boys left
the hotel.

"Where away, Frankie?" asked Barney.

"I don't know," replied Frank, helplessly. "There is not one chance in
millions of finding the lost Flower Queen, but I feel that I must move
about. We'll visit the old French quarter by night. I have been there in
the daytime, and I'd like to see how it looks at night. Come on."

And so they made their way to the French quarter, crossing Canal Street
and turning into a quiet, narrow way, that soon brought them to a region
of architectural decrepitude.

The streets of this section were not overlighted, and seemed very silent
and lonely, as, at this particular time, the greater part of the
inhabitants of the quarter were away to the scenes of pleasure.

The streets echoed to the boys' feet. There were queer balconies on
every hand, the stores were mere shops, all of them now closed, and many
windows were nailed up. Rust and decay were on all sides, and yet there
was something impressive in the almost Oriental squalor of the place.

"It sames loike we'd left th' city intoirely for another place, so it
does," muttered Barney.

"That is true," admitted Frank. "New Orleans seems like a human being
with two personalities. For me this is the most interesting part of the
city; but commerce is beginning to crowd in here, and the time is coming
when the French quarter will cease to be an attraction for New Orleans."

"D'ye think not, Frankie?"

"It is a certain thing."

"W