CHAPTER XI.
The "King Deed" of Daring "Yes; that performance helped a lot." Herr Schimmelpodt was prevailed upon, by Mr.Morton, to come around on another evening to show some further feats with his great strength.
Around the waist-line the German was flabby; the fat rolled in heavy ridges.

Feeling aware of this defect in personal appearance Herr Schimmelpodt determined to devote some of his abundant leisure to getting his belt line into smaller compass.

But the German would not do this before all eyes in the public, gym.

So he and some other well-to-do business men who were conscious that the years had dealt too generously by them in the matter of flesh, hired a small hall and converted it into a private gym.
It was all the doings of Dick & Co., just the same.
The town was ripe, now, for performances in extraordinary athletics.
Fate willed it that there should be a chance.
Once a year an opera company of considerable prominence appeared at Gridley for one evening.
Whenever this evening came around, it was made the occasion for a big time in local society.

The women of the well-to-do families turned out in their most dazzling finery.
This year "Lohengrin" was to be sung at the local opera house.
Dick could have obtained, at "The Blade" office, free seats for Dave and himself for this Friday night.