Obstinate Dan was a pug, and a homely one at that which is saying a good deal. His nose turned up so much that he could hardly see over it; he had a stump of a tail, short legs, and a very bad disposition. But his mistress, Aunt Polly, thought him the most beautiful dog in the world. Sometimes she would try to show me how wonderful he was.
"Dannie," she would say, "come here."
Dan would look at her out of one eye, and wink at me with the other; and then, instead of coming to his mistress, would start for the lounge. At which dear Aunt Polly would cry, "Go under the lounge, I mean." And then she would say to me delightedly, "Don't you see how well Dannie minds?"
I saw, but said nothing.
Kind Aunt Polly lived in the little house nearest the railroad track; and as Dan's kennel was in the front yard, he was nearer to the track than any other dog in town—a fact that he secretly prided himself upon. But at the same time, he was afraid of the trains; and whenever they went by he would bristle up and
