Well, thank you for all your guesses but I don't really think any of you are right yet.  Nothing pulls out, nothing "clicks" and nothing pops out of the top.

The old lady lived in a farm house - her husband died many years ago (about 20).  Pete hasn't rang back yet but I would say he tried the magnetic bit.  He is just curious what his mother had it for.  Her husband was a farmer.

Waves to Deb - hope you are good (and still shopping ).

The only other photo I have is this one:  Hope it's more focused.

So, are you saying,  katy,  that the OP's cousin's MIL was a 945y.o. intergalactic

warlord whose house was bigger on the inside?

Hahahahahahaha  love it

Perhaps a medico left it behind, and it was in safekeeping for when they returned.

DEB

ok, she lived on a farm...were there chickens? could it be an egg candler that has a broken part so therefore no pushy/pulley parts on it?

Oh so it is a little wiry mole hair plucker.

Blessed are the cracked, for they are the ones who let in the light.

........and the mole.

---

@soulart2 wrote:
It's to pluck those wiry hairs that grow out of moles. The round end bit fits over the mole and a little blade inside chops the hair off.

---

oh I've got to get me one of them

I think it's for testing electrical currents.