Dusty is totally disgusted with Augusta. She is so put out by his rough manner, slovenly dress, smelly cigars, and awful beer. She realizes that she has three choices: tolerate him, throw him out, or change him.She decides that toleration will not add to the quality of her life. And neither will throwing him out. So she decides to change him. He already has shown that he can change, as he moved from wanting to clean her dust bunnies up to recognizing that they are decent beings.
"Augusta, I am very disappointed in you. The other day you were a perfect gentleman. You were wearing that beautiful uniform with the six pointed star. You didn't smoke a god awful cigar, and you didn't have a six pack of beer. In addition, you walked gently around the house, careful not to squish any of my fair hairy friends.
If you'd like to be here with me, which I would love, you'll have to clean up your act. What will it be?"
No one had ever spoken to Augusta like this. Dusty certainly was going out on a limb giving Augusta this ultimatum. Had she made a terrific mistake? Would Augusta leave with his tail between his legs, never to return?
Hairy is quite agitated by Augusta as well. He joins in with Dusty's tirade by barking and growling. Augusta is red-faced, somewhere between being embarrassed and angry. No one had ever spoken to him this way, though he remembered as a kid that his mom had talked to his dad like this every day when he came home drunk. Finally his dad had enough and left for good. Augusta wondered if he should leave and put an end to this insane abuse.
