A ROMANTIC PROPOSAL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144351, 16 March 1914, Page 3

A ROMANTIC PROPOSAL.

LETTER FOLLOWS MAN FOR 14 MONTHS. CHICAGO, Jan. 26. A romance, in’ which Cupid was baulked for nearly two years by the exigencies of modern travel and the energy of the world’s post office officials, has just had a happy sequel at Topeka, Kansas, where the marriage of Mr. Harry T. Plunkett, a rising young civil engineer, and Miss Ruth Forrestt, a wealthy young Society woman of that city, has taken place. The bridegroom, who arrived at San Francisco from the East on December 11, only received on that day a letter which had boon following him across the Pacific for 14 months, and which contained the lady’s, acceptance of his proposal, made by letter nearly two years ago. The nappy couple first mot at To-' poka two years ago, and as far as Mr.. Plunkett was concerned it was a case of lovo at first sight. Before ho could propose the lady left for a tour round tho -world, and Mr. Plunkett, having been offered a remunerative post in China, finally decided to propose by letter, Tho proposal followed Miss Forrestt from one country to another and did not reach her until she returned homo some seven months later. It had been re-directed in 16 languages. This fair voyager had not forgotten her admirer, and she replied accepting this muchtravelled proposal. In tho meantime, however, Mr. Plunkett had gone from China to Japan, Korea, Manchuria, hack to San Francisco, and back again to the East. Had the postal officials boon at all dilatory in several places he would have caught up with the eagerly expected letter more than once, but the authorities, whether Chinese, Japanese, or American, displayed commendable promptitude in re-directing the engineer’s mail, and six times the letter crossed the Pacific. At last, a fortnight ago, Cupid triumphed, for Mr. Plunkett tamed long enough at San Francisco to enable tho elusive letter, tho envelope of which was almost covered with notations in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and other languages, to catch him up. The young engineer had given up hope of hearing, but on receipt of the letter he acted with energy. A railway time-table showed him that a train left San Francisco for tho east in one hour’s time, so throwing a few things into a handbag he rushed to the station, stopping only at the telegraph office to send a long explanatory telegram announcing his departure for Topeka,