Stanley Harrison

Wealthy Georgina Van Aster, whose primary interest in life is horses, decides to sell the celebrated "Asterville Venus," a painting that has attracted people from around the world to the quaint New York town of Asterville. As the painting is the only thing of prominence in Asterville, managing editor Nash of the Asterville Clarion , plans to start a fund to buy it for the town's new library. Mrs. Van Aster refuses to sell the painting to anyone locally because of a dispute with townspeople.