the center of the table. “I’ve sold several rocking chairs and toys there, and adding ten percent doesn’t raise the prices enough to discourage folks from buying them.”
“And it would equate to a tithe, if you want to get biblical about it,” Bishop Jeremiah said with a chuckle. “The tougher question is what to charge vendors for renting space with us. I’d hate to cut into their income too much, but we’ll have to cover utility payments and building upkeep, not to mention advertising expenses. Would forty dollars a month be fair? Hopefully everyone will sell enough on four Saturdays to afford ten dollars a week.”
Jo stilled. She sensed the Helfing twins were doing some mental calculations as well. She would have to sell a lot of pastries, bread, and refreshments to cover that amount and make any profit—and Mamm would consider forty dollars an exorbitant sum, because their little roadside stand didn’t cost them anything.
“Is everyone okay with me managing the refreshment area instead of paying stall rent?” she asked softly.
“And what if Marietta and I take charge of the building’s cleaning and upkeep in lieu of paying rent?” Molly asked. “I’m excited about having a shop, but we’ll have to sell several bags of dry noodles to clear forty dollars. Just saying.”
“We have other commitments to bulk stores for orders, too,” Marietta put in. “And they don’t charge us for display space.”
“I think that’s only fair,” Martha Maude stated with a nod. “You gals are supporting yourselves with your homemade products, and you’ll be investing quite a lot of time and effort to keep your shops going. Rose Wagler, Anne, and a couple of other ladies are going in on our quilt shop, so it’ll be no burden for us to come up with rent.”
“Jah, quilts sell for a lot more than noodles and cinnamon rolls,” Bishop Jeremiah agreed. “I’m fine with this arrangement. How about the rest of you?”
Jo felt greatly relieved when Glenn, Gabe, and Regina nodded their consent. It was a plus to have Deacon Saul’s mamm and his wife running a shop, because their beautiful quilts were sure to sell well—and even if they didn’t sell a single quilt, the family would still have food on their table.
Lydianne cleared her throat. “Regina mentioned something earlier that we should probably clarify before we go any further,” she said. “Bishop, you and the preachers seem very positive about opening a marketplace, but you’ve often warned us about expanding beyond the work we can do while still having time for our families. Do you see a problem with adding the commitment of this new venture to our workloads?”
“Someone has actually listened to my sermons!” Bishop Jeremiah teased before he resumed a more serious demeanor. “You’ve asked an important question, Lydianne.”
He sat back in his chair, pondering for a moment. “Because we’re setting up our marketplace to fund a new school, and as a place to hold the auctions and mud sales that support our firemen and other community causes—and because several members will be involved—I don’t feel any one family will be burdened by extra work,” he finally replied. “If the shops succeed, we Amish all benefit. If they don’t, we’ll still have a better place to build the new schoolhouse and host our outdoor auctions.”
“Even if we weren’t setting up these shops, our members would step up to cover the cost of a school,” Gabe pointed out. “We’ll be sharing the work, but nobody will lose his shirt if it doesn’t work out.”
Folks around the table nodded, and Jo agreed. She, the Helfings, and Glenn would still be supporting themselves with their handmade items even if they gave up on the shops after a while. “Chances are we could rent out the stable for parties and special events if the marketplace doesn’t succeed—or even if it does,” she added. “English and Plain folks alike would benefit, since Morning Star doesn’t have any other large halls available.”
“That’s a fine idea!” Martha Maude said as her face lit up. “It could be a place for family reunions, or even weddings and funerals for families who’ll have bigger crowds than they can handle at their homes.”
Encouraged by their progress, Jo reached into her tote bag. “I, um, sketched out my idea for how the interior of the stable might look when it’s been renovated,” she began nervously. “I envision the shops being positioned along the outer walls around an open central area, where we could maybe have tables and chairs for serving refreshments. We’ll need restrooms, of course—”
“Pete can install those for us, as well as the water lines and such,” the bishop put in with a nod.
“—and we’ll need an office for keeping our records,” Jo continued. “I’m also hoping for a small kitchen in my stall, so I can bake those refreshments I mentioned on-site. I think the aroma of homemade goodies and fresh coffee will be a big draw.”
“Oh, I think we should go for a full-sized kitchen,” Martha Maude insisted as she turned Jo’s diagram so she could see it better. “Any group who’d hold a family gathering there would want to be able to cook.”
“I agree,” Bishop Jeremiah said as he stood behind Gabe to look at the diagram. “We might have to check health department rules for compliance on that, but I can already smell the cinnamon rolls and imagine folks sitting and chatting over their coffee. Most likely, it’ll be a place for husbands to gather while their wives spend their money in the shops!”
Laughter filled the bishop’s kitchen as Gabe pointed to a section of the floor plan. “I want the two spots in this corner for Flaud Furniture,” he said. “I’ll fill out my rental form right now.”
“I think your kitchen should be right here across from the main entry, Jo,” Molly put in, pointing to the spot. “It’ll be centrally located that way, close to where you want to serve refreshments—”
“And the restrooms could be in this tack storage area that sticks out from the back of the building,” Glenn suggested. “Close enough to share the water pipes and drainage system the kitchen would need, yet separate from the eating area.”
“Pencil that in!” Jo said. “These are great ideas!”
“Jah, they are,” Gabe agreed enthusiastically. “Dat’s been talking about this place a lot the past few days, so I’ll convince him that we should provide some basic tables and chairs for this central area. It’ll be gut advertisement for us, after all.”
“And if you build them, we know they’ll be top-notch,” Jo said.
Lydianne pointed to the words Jo had carefully written at the top of the diagram. “Is this what you think we should call our new shops—The Marketplace at Morning Star?”
“Or just The Marketplace, for short.” Jo glanced at the folks around the table to gauge their reactions. “Maybe somebody else has a better idea—”
“It has a nice ring to it,” Marietta said as her slender face lit up with a big smile. “The Marketplace.”
“Simple, but it states our case,” Gabe chimed in with a nod.
“I like it!” Glenn put in. “How about if I build signs to mount on the front and the side of the building that faces the road, as well as one to post on the fence—assuming we plan to keep that slat fence and the gate.”
Everyone got quiet, thinking.
“Well,
