THE STORY: After a quarrel with her boyfriend, Minerva Pinney returns home to Penneyfield. There Minerva hits on a plan to turn her historic New England village into another Colonial Williamsburg and interests the Banning Foundation in funding the restoration. Sarah Pinney, Minerva’s ancestor and a Revolutionary heroine who courageously defied General Howe, will be forever enshrined in American history. Then Adam Harwick, her boyfriend, shows up. Minerva is happy to see him until he denigrates the restoration project. Minerva orders him out, but he remains, making himself agreeable to Minerva’s mother, who thinks the restoration is rubbish. To annoy Adam, Minerva becomes engaged to Edgar Cameron, who shares her enthusiasm and thinks he could make a profit off of the project. Then her mother produces Sarah’s diary, which reveals that she was not the saint history has made of her; but that she seduced General Howe to keep him from pursuing the Revolutionary Army. Adam applauds her action, but Minerva is shocked and decides the restoration must be stopped. Edgar and Landis, the foundation representative, however, want to continue. Determined, Minerva pretends to use Sarah’s trick, blackmailing Landis into pulling out of the restoration. When Adam finds out, he is enraged. But the audience knows she is only teasing him, letting him think she did what he honored Sarah for doing! Minerva realizes she is still in love with Adam and pulls him into her arms.
