Fred knew he'd need to enlist the help of his father-in-law-to-be in order to carry out his plan to present Mary with a diamond engagement ring. Fred and George discussed the role that each would play, and the plan was set in motion.

Fred had himself encased in a square wooden crate at George's carpentry shop. Small air holes were drilled in the side of the box so Fred could secretly look out without anyone else being able to see in.

After renting a questionable-looking old truck, Fred hired a couple of men to deliver the wooden crate laden with official stamps and addresses to Mary's home. Mary's father answered the door and signed for the box, yelling, "Mary, there's a box out here for you. What in the heck did you buy now?"

Everyone was saying "What is it?", "Why don't you open it?", "Hurry up!" until finally George said, "Let me get a hammer and some tools and let's see what's in here."

Excitement levels ran high, particularly for Mary, her mother, and her sister. They became increasingly frustrated with George as he took his own sweet time to open the box. He pried the lid open one nail at a time. Finally opened, he gently removed the lid and set it on the floor.

Mary looked in and all she could see was a large circular disc which had written on it "I love you . . . will you marry me?"

"What going on here?" she laughed, pulling on the circular, hat-like object. Up popped Fred with a big smile on his face. "Mary, you are the most beautiful, kind, caring person I've ever known, and I'd like to spend the rest of my life with you . . . will you marry me?"

With tears in her eyes, Mary whispered "yes" as Fred slipped a diamond ring on her finger.