From Short Stories Magazine 1894 The right bank of the " Father of Waters," in the year 1 756 , was the little French village destined to become one day the great city of St. Louis. The place at that time consisted of a single street running along the bank, well up from the river. Back of this Street *as the village common, while here and there, at increasing distances apart, were log cabins, marking the road which led first to the fort and later to the settlement of friendly Indians, several miles away. A storm of lively query and comment greeted Pelagie's return to the house.