Mark McKee was just 13 years old when he checked out a copy of "A Dog of Flanders" from a library in Mt. Clemens, Mich., MyFoxDetroit.com reports. The story, which details a young orphaned boy and his dog enduring difficult times during Christmas, was so touching that McKee kept the book for more than seven decades before returning it this month along with a letter.
"I figure the fine for this book at 10 cents a day for 76 years, would be $2,774," McKee wrote. "As I am an old senior citizen on a fixed income, I can only throw myself upon the mercy of the library!"
Man Returns Dog of Flanders 76 Years Later
McKee, who spent time in Michigan as publisher of the Macomb Daily, told MyFoxDetroit.com that his conscience got the best of him and drove him to return the book, which was originally due on May 24, 1934.
"We do get long overdue materials returned from time-to-time, but in my experience we've never had anything 76 years old," Assistant Library Director Debra Larsen told the website.
Larsen said the library will not put the copy back into circulation and has waived the late fee, offering McKee a new version of the book for only $8.99.
Man Returns Dog of Flanders 76 Years Later
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