“Like this.” Johnny turned and faced them.
“Why should we parted be, Kathleen Aroon,
When thy fond heart’s with me, Kathleen Aroon?
Come to these golden skies,
Bright days for us may rise,
Oh! dry those tearful eyes, Kathleen Aroon.”
Even though Johnny sang with the thin voice of an old man, Peggy found herself listening to every phrase. When he finished, she held out her hands to him.
“That was beautiful,” she breathed. “I never knew that such a simple song could be so lovely.”
Johnny smiled modestly. “You should have heard Tom do it,” he said. “It always seemed to have a special meaning for him.”
Beside her, Peggy could feel Peter fidgeting restlessly. “Say, I’m sorry to break this up,” he said, “but I’ve got to get back to the office. Can we have Tom Agate’s address?”