The title story tells how the reputation of Hadleyburg, a small town which prides itself on its honesty and incorruptibility, is forever besmirched by the actions of a disaffected stranger. Though this parable of communal self-deception was written in 1900, it remains as trenchant today as when it first appeared, and has much to reach modern America. Dealing with guilt and responsibility, it is shot through with humour as well as reflecting the darker side of Twain's later life.