Elder Knox stared perplexedly at his wife . A month previously the Putney church had been recarpeted , and they still owed fifty dollars for it . This , the women declared , they would speedily pay off by a big cake and ice-cream social in the hall . Mrs. Knox had been one of the foremost promoters of the enterprise . `` Not any social ? '' repeated the elder again . `` Then how is the money for the carpet to be got ? And why is n't there going to be a social ? '' `` The men can get the money somehow , I suppose , '' said Mrs. Knox . `` As for the social , why , of course , if women are n't good enough to speak in church they are not good enough to work for it either . Lucy , dear , will you pass me the cookies ? '' `` Lucy dear '' passed the cookies and then rose abruptly and left the table . Her father 's face was too much for her . `` What confounded nonsense is this ? '' demanded the elder explosively . Mrs. Knox opened her mellow brown eyes widely , as if in amazement at her husband 's tone . `` I do n't understand you , '' she said . `` Our position is perfectly logical . '' She had borrowed that phrase from Myra Wilson , and it floored the elder . He got up , seized his hat , and strode from the room .
That night , at Jacob Wherrison 's store XXXXX the Corner , the Putney men talked over the new development .
Lucy at by for from in left month of to