The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg

Set in the supposedly incorruptible town of Hadleyburg, the story unfolds as a stranger threatens to expose the town’s hypocrisy by delivering a bag of gold with a challenge. The townspeople, including Edward and Mary, receive mysterious letters urging them to reform, leading to a series of claims that reveal their true natures. As the plot thickens, the town clerk, Burgess, discovers the gold is actually gilded lead, exposing the deception at the heart of their moral superiority, while also revealing his own complicity in the scheme.