f the grave, rapidly grew into a cloud, and began to
assume the outlines of a human body, until at last a tall, white figure
stood behind the grave, and beckoned with its hand.

"Who art thou?" the Jesuit asked solemnly, while the old man began to
cry.

"When I was alive, I was called Anna Maria B----," replied the ghost in
a hollow voice.

"Will you answer all my questions?" the priest continued.

"As far as I can."

"Have you not yet been delivered from purgatory by our prayers, and by
all the Masses for your soul, which we have said for you?"

"Not yet, but soon, soon I shall be."

"When?"

"As soon as that blasphemer, my son, has been punished."

"Has that not already happened? Has not your husband disinherited his
lost son, and in his place made the Church his heir?"

"That is not enough."

"What must he do besides?"

"He must deposit his will with the Judicial Authorities, as his last
will and testament, and drive the reprobate out of his house."

"Consider well what you are saying; must this really be?"

"It must, or otherwise I shall have to languish in purgatory much
longer," the sepulchral voice replied with a deep sigh; but the next
moment the ghost yelled out in terror: "Oh! Good Lord!" and began to
run away as fast as it could. A shrill whistle was heard, and then
another, and the police director laid his hand on the shoulder of the
exorciser with the remark:

"You are in custody."

Meanwhile, the police sergeant and the policeman, who had come into the
churchyard, had caught the ghost, and dragged it forward. It was the
sexton, who had put on a flowing, white dress, and wore a wax mask,
which bore a striking resemblance to his mother, so the son declared.

When the case was heard, it was proved that the mask had been very
skillfully made from a portrait of the deceased woman. The government
gave orders that the matter should be investigated as secretly as
possible, and left the punishment of Father X----to the spiritual
authorities, which was a matter of necessity, at a time when priests
were outside of the jurisdiction of the civil authorities. It is
needless to say that Father X----was very comfortable during his
imprisonment in a monastery, in a part of the country which abounded
with game and trout.

The only valuable result of the amusing ghost story was that it brought
about a reconciliation between father and son; the former, as a matter
of fact, felt such deep respect for pr