JOHN DAY A piece of mail with no return address brightened the day for school secretary Judy Schuette.

As she routinely opened envelopes at the Grant Union Junior-Senior High School office Feb. 29, she unfolded a letter and found a crisp $100 bill.

The unsigned letter was from someone wishing to right a dishonest act that had been haunting their conscience for years.

The letter reads:

Over 30 years ago, while attending a school activity, I took an item from your school that did not belong to me.

For over 30 years my choice has brought sadness to my heart. My belief system teaches me that I need to make restitution wherever possible. Although the item did not nor would cost $100 to replace, I feel in my heart thats what I need to send.

I am so remorseful for what I did so many years ago, and I hope that I can not only be forgiven, but now that I have made restitution, go forward and have it trouble me no more.

Principal Curt Shelley was pleased with the writers choice to make up for a mistake and said the money will go into the general fund to be used for an improvement at the school.

This is a great personal story of integrity, he said.

The note, for Schuette, was a day-changer.

It was a good reminder that its never too late to try and do the right thing, she said.