She began crying.
Pearl looked concerned.
"What's wrong?"
Hazel shook her head.
"Nothing."
She laughed through her tears.
Then whispered, "I just wanted you to have a little less work."
Pearl stared.
For a moment, she seemed unable to speak.
Then she wrapped her arms around Hazel.
"Oh, sweetheart."
Hazel held her tightly.
The machine sat silent beside them.
Three dollars of rusted equipment.
Two weeks of repairs.
And one small batch of peas.
It wasn't much.
But to Pearl, it felt like someone had finally noticed how heavy the work had become.
The success lasted until the following morning.
Hazel returned to the shed before breakfast, eager to test another batch.
She checked the machine.
Set up the collection trays.
And began working.
For the first several minutes, everything ran smoothly.
Then the crank grew stiff.
The shelling action became irregular.
Hazel stopped.
When she examined the machine, she discovered that a repaired component wasn't holding its alignment as consistently as she'd hoped.
She felt her stomach sink.
The previous day's success hadn't been a complete solution.
She sat beside the workbench and stared at the machine.
Then Wy arrived.
He examined the problem.
For several minutes, he said nothing.
Finally, he looked toward Hazel.
"Well, now we know what didn't hold."
She closed her eyes.
"I thought we fixed it."
He nodded.
"We fixed one problem."
Hazel looked frustrated.
Wy continued.
"That's different from fixing every problem."
She sighed.
"I know."
He leaned against the workbench.
"Want to quit?"
Hazel stared at him.
Then shook her head.
"No."
Wy smiled.
"Didn't think so."
They returned to the drawing board.
Hazel began considering whether parts of the third sheller could be adapted for the small wooden machine, provided the components were inspected and suitable for the loads involved. Wy helped her evaluate the idea, and they decided to consult a local machinist before using any questionable salvaged parts.
The work took another week.
But the finished machine was better.
The crank operated more smoothly.
The frame remained stable.
And the shelling mechanism handled a wider range of properly sorted pods.
Hazel also built a simple collection arrangement that made it easier to keep peas and hulls separated for further cleaning.
When they tested it again, the results were encouraging.
In forty minutes of ordinary supervised operation, the small machine produced nearly eleven pounds of shelled peas from suitable pods. The output still needed checking and cleaning, and Hazel understood that the rate would vary with pod condition and operator fatigue.