The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine published from 1895 to 1922. It featured original short stories, often with uncanny or fantastical themes. This particular issue, from November 1896, contains five such stories: * "Silas F. Quigley - To Arrive" by Lewis Hopkins Rogers: A puzzling letter leads Mr. Quigley on a strange quest for employment. * "The Polar Magnet" by Philip Verrill Mighels: A sculptor discovers a gruesome method for creating lifelike casts for his art. * "Fitzhugh" by W. MacPherson Wiltbank: An untalented man's desperate attempt at fame takes an unexpected turn. * "The Passionate Snake" by Ella Higginson: A snake learns a harsh lesson about human treachery. * "Professor Whirlwind" by Allen Quinan: A man's harrowing experience inside a tornado.