The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

Jockey Bitsy Barlow watches three men in the dining room of a restaurant: Bitsy’s trainer Sylvester, bookie Simmons, and the owner of the horse Bitsy rides. The men notice Bitsy staring. Bitsy is devastated because his best friend McGuire recently broke his hip and leg on the racing track. When Bitsy approaches the men, they invite him to sit, but when Bitsy orders bourbon, they nervously warn him to be reasonable.

When the drink arrives, Bitsy asks if the men know McGuire. He just received a letter—McGuire is out of his cast, but his injured leg is now two inches shorter than his other leg. Sylvester says that he understands how Bitsy feels, but Bitsy does not believe him. The men suggest that Bitsy go home, but Bitsy refuses and angrily insists that he wants another drink. The men warn him against it, but Bitsy goes to the bar. To the men, Bitsy is out of control; they worry that his drinking will impact his performance on the track.

In the restaurant, everyone is in pairs or groups except for Bitsy. He gets his drink and returns to the table but refuses to sit down. He insists the men are too preoccupied with their dinners to care about his friend.