Edgar's Photo

Edgar felt quite excited at the thought of his first swim of the summer. With the sun shining down so strongly, the sea was certain to be warm enough. He walked quickly along the sea towards the steps that led onto the sands. He smiled cheerfully at the people. He had just smiled and waved his hat to an elderly lady when a man with a camera caught his arm and stopped him. Edgar heard a little buzzing noise from the camera.

"Your photo, sir, in bright color in just one moment if you please." said the man.

Then the buzzing stopped, and the cameraman handed the photo over, and Edgar saw the bright blue of his shirt half filling the picture.

"Seventy pennies, sir," the man said. "It's the bargain of your holiday."

"Seventy pennies," Edgar repeated, "for this photo?"

"They're normally eighty-five, sir, but for one person I make a cut price offer. It's the best price you'll get in Chadwell."

"You'll have to make a better offer." Edgar said. It was a good photo though, he thought, so bright and clear. His hat was held high, and he was smiling happily at the old lady, whose arm and handbag came into a lower corner. He had no idea that he was being snapped. He thought he was really quite a good-looking man.

"That's as good as any studio job that would cost you pounds." said the cameraman. "It's better in a way because it's so natural. Only seventy pennies, sir."

"I've never paid so much for a photo in my life. It isn't worth that kind of money. It's not as if I need the thing. Look, I'll give you twenty-five."

"No, I can't do that. Each of these color photos costs me 50p—that's the price of the blank frame, so you see ...  "

"No, no," Edgar broke in. "You want a profit of forty percent. Well, I'll give you 50p and that's that."

"Let me see, then." The man suddenly took the photo out of Edgar's hand. "I can't spend any more time on it with you. It's 70p or I keep it."

"Keep it." Edgar said. He turned, looked out to sea, and then walked quickly away.