Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-30
The Bells of Lara.
a MEXICAN LEGEND.

| r ne Ola square tower in the market-place
| Vi lara contains a very remarkable neal of
| 12veAS, three IN number, and of immense size
inGy were cast about two hundred wears AGO
IN the great old foundry of Lara, and tbey arc
! never r0ng except on the death of a Warden
! OF Lara, when they are tolled at midnigbt IN
| changes that make very melancholy dir7n
| IL IS common circumstance at Lara. for so9,o
venerable narrator Of the little circles that
close round the treside on a Winters nigbt
to recount his memories of how awfuIIv tba
bells in the old square tower spoke when the
father Of some present Warden died. He will
tell how their tones have something in them
resembling the human voice, and how the
atfrighted sIeepers used to wake at the
supernatural sound, and light their lamps to
scare away any stray demons that might well
be lurking IN the air upon which such unearthly
music was borne.
These bells of Lara have a legend of their
own. Some say that an old grave digger of
the place, now long since passed away, recog-
hlZed the voice that spoke in their sonoroUs
chimes; and this brought to the fireside- circles
strong evidence of the truth of the legend,
which | will recount
Inc Wardens Of Lara were for centuries the
hereditary lords of the soil. Their wealth was
derived from the mineral regions of the valley
III Whlch the Old place nestles. Nearly every
booy IN Lara was connected with the huge
toundnes there, the works turned out from
"hlch were famous for their excellence of
manufacture and design.
- About the year 1860, one Miguel Brontn7
was superintendent of certain mines belong.
ing to the Wardens of Lara He was a man
OF active business habits and unimpeachabe
integrity, faithful in a stewardship of some
years to an aged Warden, who died in the
year mentioned, and was succeeded bv q
graceless and profigate son.
WeII-to-do artisan, belonging to the work.
shops, had daughter named Urna. who was
accounted the iairest among the fair girls for
whom Lara was rather celebrated For some
time the profiigate young Warden had been
laying siege to this plebeian beauty, with views
that were the reverse of honorable and his
teeIng OF rage and malignity knew no bounds.
when he heard one day, that Trina Castillo
had Just been united in the holy bonds of
matrimony to Miguel Brontez.
But the sleuth-hound never leaves his quarry
until he runs it down; and of such tenacitv in
ms amours was the Warden of Lara. HIS
efforts to gain the favor Of Urna were now
greater than ever. He sought, but in vain,
to pave his way with gold. He deprived the
young wife, at times, of her strong-armed
protector, by send%ng him away, on shallow
PreteNtS, to the mountain mines. The Warden
OF Lara was handsome man, and his vanity
was stung TO the quick by his want of success
with one who, after all, was nothing more than
u wOrkIngman's wife
Once, when Brontcl returned to his home,
after an absence Of some days al the mines,
he found his fair young wife in tears. Re.
luctanty she confessed to him the cause Of
her grief. The persecution to which she had
long been subjected was now, for the first
time, diyulged to him-for Urna knew that he
was man OF quick temper and violent action.
When aroused by injury, and she feared some
terrible result. Nor was that result lone in
coming. Next day Brontez met the Warden,
face to face, in the iron-yards, and leaping
upon him like panther, feled him to the
earth with powerful blow.
Heaps Of iron lay around the spot where
this affair took place, so that the assault was
not witnessed by any of the workmen. This
gave Brontel brief time for reflection as to
what course he had best pursue. Terrible
retmbutlon, as he well knew, would be sure to
fall upon him, whether the Warden recovered
from the blow or died Of it; and so, making
his way from the yard unobserved, he went by
u circuitous route to his home, which he
reached Just as the shades of evening were
deepening into night. But he at once confideG
the whole situation of affairs to his wife, and
long before morning dawned they were both
on their way TO a distant iron district, where
Brontez under an assumed name, hoped to
obtain employmenttromt principal employer.
For about a year they lived here in com
paratlVe saiety-a happy state of affairs,
which was destined soon to be brought to u
close, however. The Warden of Lara had
long since recovered from the blow inflicted
upon HIM by the injured husband-pursuit
after whom he, with hypocritical show of
lemency, torbade-the reality of the case being
that he feared provoking certain disclosures
which would not have been creditable to him
self. In course of time, matrimonial alliance
was arranged between him and a daughter of
the wealthy proprietor with whom Brontez had
found refuge. Certain business affairs rem
dered 1t necessary for him to make visit to
the father Of his intended BRIDE and while
inspecting the work, in company with his
host, he recognized Brontez among the over
seers who We're going to and fro there, and
| resolved to work his ruin.
1t is unnecessary to recount the process by
which the Warden Ousted the unfortunate
oVerseer from his employers confidence.
Suffice it to say that Brontez was dismissed,
and thrown once more upon the world, wan
dered away with his wife to distant town.
where for while he managed to make poor
subsistence by such precarious employment
as he could obtain.
But an evil spell seemed to pursue him even
here. Broken down by hardship and poverty,
his wife died, and Brontez, now a reckless
and broken-hearted man, disappeared from
the place, and it was rumored that he had
committed suicide. Later reports went that
he had joined band of robbers in the
mountains that tower over Lara; and soon the
matter was forgotten altogether, and his name
was heard no more.