JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<table>
<tr><td class="header"><a class="below"><span class="hidden">#</span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td>next row</td></tr>
</table>

CSS

table { width: 80px; position:relative; }
    td { border: solid 1px #ccc; }
    td.header  
    {
        background-color: #99f;
        /* This is being ignored */
        height:2px; 
        }
    .below 
    {
        float: right; 
        position: absolute;
        top: 6px; right:2px;
        /*If I shrink,  the BG image goes Away*/
        height: 11px;
        width: 11px;
        background-image: url('http://ckeditor.com/apps/ckeditor/3.3/skins/kama/images/sprites.png');
        background-position: 4px -1387px;
        border: 1px outset #D3D3D3;
    }
.hidden { display:none; }