structed that it inks
in two colors, which is frequently a convenience for business purposes.
Text, for example, can be done in black and the numerals--prices
perhaps--put in in red."

"I see. I should think that would be fine," said Paul. "Now tell me one
other thing: are the letters arranged in the same order on all
typewriters?"

"You mean the keyboards?"

"Yes, I guess that is what I mean," replied Paul.

"Keyboards sometimes differ in arrangement," Mr. Cameron explained.
"Some keyboards have a key for each letter, and others one key for
several characters. It is, however, desirable that machines should
differ as little in arrangement as possible, as typists learn a
universal method of letter-placing and are consequently annoyed to find
the letters in an unfamiliar location on a new machine."

"I can see that would upset them dreadfully," answered Paul. "Of course
they could not go so fast."

"Not only that, but they would make frequent mistakes," continued his
father. "The most expert typists seldom look at the keys, you know. They
memorize the position of the letters and then operate the machine by the
touch system, or by feeling. You have often seen a person play the piano
in the same fashion. It is a great advantage for a stenographer to be
able to do this, for he can keep his eyes on his copy and not constantly
change his eye-focus by glancing first at the manuscript and then at the
machine. He can also give his entire attention to taking dictation if he
so desires. The touch system is a great timesaver; it enables any one to
make twice the speed."

"And the bell warns them that they are approaching the end of a line,
even if they don't see that they are," Paul added.

"Precisely!"

"It is a great scheme, isn't it--a typewriter?" declared the boy.

Mr. Cameron nodded.

"What wouldn't the old monks have given for one?" went on Paul
mischievously. "Think of the years of work that would have saved them."

"Yes, that is true. But if we had no fine old illuminated manuscripts,
we would have lost much that is beautiful and interesting. There is no
question, though, that typewriters accord with our generation much more
harmoniously than do painfully penned manuscripts. In our day the
problem is to turn out the most work in the shortest time, and the
typewriter certainly does that for us. It is a very ingenious device--a
marvel until one sees a modern printing press; then the typewriter seems
a child's