C++ return a class object by reference

I have a class called Object which stores some data.

I would like to return it by reference using a function like this:

    Object& return_Object();

Then, in my code, I would call it like this:

    Object myObject = return_Object();

I have written code like this and it compiles. However, when I run the code, I consistently get a seg fault. What is the proper way to return a class object by reference?