Lizzie

Lizzie was a starving foundling when I got her and now, as everyone knows, she's nine years old and weighs 18.5 pounds.  She's always been a little on the ornery side which is why I named her Lizzie, after Lizzie Borden, who famously hacked her mother and father to death with a hatchet.  Lizzie has a left hook that has the same effect.  

Now, while continuing to research my family history and reading a bit more of the book I found on my great-grandfather, McKee Rankin, I find out that he knew Lizzie Bordon and in fact, borrowed money from her through a third party, an actress in his theater company named Nance O'Neil.  "It's clear that Rankin took advantage of Lizzie's infatuation with O'Neil in the same way he sought financial help from anyone..."  Oh, dear great-grandaddy, this is not sounding good at all.  "Rankin's most glaring fault was his penchant for borrowing money with no intention of repayment."   

Apparently, Lizzie didn't know that when she made the loan to him.  She outlived him by 13 years and as far as we know he did not die from a hatchet wound.