And he began to notice Susette, to come home early now and then, in time to see her take her bath or to sit on the floor and build houses of blocks, he knew about building houses, and he could do fascinating things which made his small daughter stare at him in grave admiration.
"How dear he is with her," Ethel thought.

Although she was barely aware of the fact, her own new tenderness for the child had tightened the bonds between her and its father.

His blunt, affectionate kindliness appealed to her often in a way that even brought little qualms of doubt.
She would look at Joe occasionally in a thoughtful, questioning manner.
He stayed home again in the evenings now; and while she sat at her sewing, often he would look up from his paper or his work to make some brief remark to her; and the conversation thus begun would somehow ramble on and on while his work lay forgotten.

But almost always, unknown to them both, the spirit of Amy was in the room, and the influence of her memory was shown in Joe's attitude toward his home.
For in spite of his enjoyment of the simpler regime, he revealed a feeling of guiltiness at not being able to give to Ethel the easy lot he hind given his wife.

As business improved he began to suggest getting back a nurse and a waitress.