Half Broke Horses

In this chapter, Lily notes that her children were isolated on the ranch, but that they played well together. Even though the children were happy on the ranch, Jim and Lily decide to send them both to boarding school. While the children are at school, Lily works on earning her degree. Unfortunately, both children were unhappy at school. Little Jim always managed to escape the building and Rosemary failed her classes and behaved wildly. Lily earns her degree, but her children were not invited back to school.

At this point, World War II is in progress and Lily’s father’s health is failing fast. Lily needs to travel to Tucson, but gasoline rations make the trip difficult. In true Lily-style, she is able to get enough gas to make the trip to see her father, who died the same night that Lily arrived. He wanted to be buried on the KC Ranch, so Lily brings her father’s body back to the ranch, working along the way to get money for gas. Lily’s father leaves her the Salt Draw homestead in his will.

Back at Hackberry, Jim and Lily employ an attractive young man named Fidel Hanna, who 16-year-old Rosemary admires.