“The Skipper never forgets one of his boys,” had been Riggs’s word for it. “And he never fails to do all he can for them.”
On the second day Nancy remained on board, but Sally and Danny’s mother once again went ashore.
“The time will pass quicker that way,” Mrs. Duke said.
“Yes, and while we are in England we should see all we can of the English people. The more we learn of them the more we’ll know the things we’re fighting for.”
By mid-afternoon they were ready for a rest. Seeing a throng entering a service club, they followed.
An entertainment was in progress. A group of Tommies was putting on an amusing skit about life on the African front.
When this was done, the band from Sally’s own ship came on the platform to give the English people a taste of real American swing tunes. They were received with hilarious applause.
Then a beautiful lady in a gorgeous costume mounted the platform and, as a pianist gave her the chords, began to sing. She had a marvelous deep voice. Being English and having known the cruel war as only the English people do, she sang with power and feeling. The song was entitled “Danny Boy.”
“Come on,” Sally whispered with something like a sob. “I can’t listen to all of that. Let’s get out.”
They did hear more, for as they moved down the aisle and out into the open air, the words were wafted back to them.