The other night after returning home from the local library, I noticed that I had not checked out the books I was holding. I had been so preoccupied while at the library that I had simply walked out with them. The alarm must have sounded without my noticing.
So the next day when I had some spare time I went back to the library, half expecting to be taken down and handcuffed as soon as I walked in. Or maybe there would be on prominent display some grainy black-and-white photos of me from the closed circuit video. Or at least I would receive a few strong words when I showed up at the checkout desk.
But when I did explain to the clerk at the checkout desk what had happened, her eyes went wide, and she started to gush about what an honest man I was. It was embarrassing. I think she was genuinely shocked that someone, after successfully absconding with some books, would actually return them. Sheesh. The times we live in.
