Overdue books returned 51 years later

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PHOENIX, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- An anonymous patron has returned a pair of library books to a Phoenix high school 51 years after they were due, school officials say.

A package containing two library books checked out in 1958 arrived with a letter at Camelback High School Nov. 3, along with a $1,000 money order, The Arizona Republic reported Sunday.

In the three-paragraph letter, the sender said the money should cover late fees and a perhaps a bit more. The writer referred to himself or herself as "almost a graduate" of the high school and wrote, "Sorry These 2 Books are So Late!"

"It's saying something about our alumni," librarian Georgette Bordine told the Republic. "We put some very fine people out there. They don't forget their early mistakes and they try to correct them."

The two overdue books were "Community of Living Things: Forests and Woodlands" and "Field and Meadows."