A book from 1790 has been returned to a library in the town where it was originally borrowed.

The story of the three books began in 1796, when the Federal Society Library of “Cambden,” then part of Lincoln County, was founded. Not much is known about the library, Bilodeau said, other than the fact that it had about 200 volumes. The Goldsmith history was stamped number 53, still clearly visible even after all this time.

No word on the late fees.

In 1934 a ledger was found that listed the “President” as having taken out two books in 1789 and never returned them. The President, of course, was George Washington. He borrowed “Law of Nations” and Vol. 12 of the “Commons Debates”.

This week, Bartlett and his staff became even more convinced the books were filched when librarian Matthew Haugen stumbled upon the long lost 14-volume collection of the “Commons Debates.”

Sure enough, Vol. 12 was missing.

The library doesn’t want the late fees, but they would like to get the books back.