The ladies decorated their pie boxes with ruffles, ribbons, and flowers, mostly made from cloth or crepe paper purchased at the five-and-ten-cent store. Without hints, an element of mystery or surprise was added to the sale. If more than one young man liked the same girl, the competition in bidding would raise the price of the pie beyond the usual cost. Five dollars was considered a high price. Regardless of who purchased the pies, the money went for a good cause and most people had fun. Unfortunately, now and then there would be an exception. One such exception was always remembered.
Fred Doss and Bernice Swanson first met at a pie supper and kept steady company after that. She was sixteen and he was seventeen when it all started, but the romance blossomed and grew for four years. During that time, Houston Holleran had his eye on Bernice, too. Fred always knew (probably with a hint from Bernice) which pie was hers. He always managed to outbid Houston and end up with Bernice.
But the year Fred turned twenty-one was different. He had enlisted in the army and was leaving the day after the pie supper, so it was especially important to Fred and Bernice to share this last pie supper before Fred went off to war. It was equally important to Houston to outbid Fred on this special night. Bernice wanted to make sure Fred bought her pie, so she gave him a big hint.
“My pie box will be decorated in red, white, and blue in honor of your going into the army to serve your country,” she said.
Houston figured Bernice would give Fred advance information, so he sent his little sister Alberta over to Bernice's house to spy. Alberta often went to the house to play with Bernice's younger sister, so Bernice thought nothing about the visit. Alberta learned what kind of pie Bernice had baked and even saw the decorated box. This was the information Houston needed. Then Alberta had her mother help her decorate a box that looked like Bernice's box. Alberta changed one tiny detail on the side of the box that nobody but Houston would notice. At the pie supper, Houston placed his sister's box ahead of Bernice's while everybody else was playing games and not paying attention to him. Then he waited.
When the pie auction started, the auctioneer picked up Alberta's box and opened the bidding. Thinking it was Bernice's pie, Fred started to bid. Houston bid against him at first to fool him and to run the bidding up. Then Houston let Fred make the final bid. Fred didn't realize that he had bought the wrong box until Alberta stepped forward and revealed that it was hers. Later, when Bernice's box came up, Fred didn't have enough money left to buy it, so Houston won the bidding with ease.
Everybody thought it was unfair, but the rules of the pie supper were clear. The guy who bought the pie ate the pie with the girl who brought it. On the evening that was supposed to be their own special time, Bernice and Fred had to eat with other people. Houston thought it was hilarious, but the young couple was very disappointed. When Fred walked Bernice home later, she was literally in tears.
“Don't cry,” Fred told her. “Houston pulled off a mean trick, but I promise you that no matter what, we'll be together at next year's pie supper!”
Bernice quickly forgot Fred's promise because Fred had to leave for training the next day. She missed him terribly and refused invitations to go out with Houston. She wrote to Fred every day and prayed every night that he would not have to go overseas to fight. She did not realize that prayers are often answered in ways we do not expect. One day, word came that Fred had been killed in a training accident in boot camp. He would not be going overseas to fight, but he would not be coming home to be with her either. Bernice was devastated. She stayed home and grieved the loss of her sweetheart.
Months passed, and Bernice still refused to attend any social events. Finally, the time came for the annual pie supper. Her parents reminded Bernice that the school needed to raise funds, so she finally agreed to go with them. She covered her box with black crepe paper and added one white rose. Houston decided right away that it was hers, so he bought it when it went up for auction.
Bernice tried to be cheerful afterward while they ate, but Houston knew she was remembering the previous year. Sadness was in her eyes. He felt a twinge of conscience about the way he had acted the year before and tried to make casual conversation. Two other couples joined them and tried to cheer Bernice up.
Suddenly, they heard a noise behind them. It sounded like someone stepping on dry twigs. They all looked around and gasped at what they saw. They couldn't believe their eyes. A figure in an army uniform stood there smiling and gazing at Bernice. There was no doubt about his identity. Fred had clearly kept his promise that they would be together at this pie supper. Bernice fainted and Fred's ghost vanished.