Ballad of the Sad Cafe, pages 1 - 23 Summary

We are introduced to a small southern town one August afternoon. It is very hot and dreary, and there seems to be little movement or activity. The largest house in the center of town is practically a ruin; it's boarded up, and leans to one side almost ready to collapse. However, it does have an occupant: Miss Amelia, who can sometimes be seen in the upstairs window. The rest of the narrative will tell her tale in flashback.

Amelia had inherited the house from her father, and operates it as a general store. She also makes excellent liquor. She's a strong, mannish sort of woman, gruff and unsociable. She's very rich, as she has a head for real estate deals. She's also very petty and will go to court and sue...