If the line was entered with a leading number, the number was converted from decimal format, like "50", and converted to a 8-bit value, in this case, hexadecimal. This number was used as an index into an array-like storage area where the rest of the line was stored in exactly the format it was typed. When the user typed into the command line the system would loop over the array, convert the line number back to decimal format, and then print out the rest of the text in the line.
