"I told him some people buy cigars in the bar there," the man says.

At today's prices, however, $100 may buy only enough cigars to whet a smoker's yearning for more.

"Many more people are buying cigars," he said, "and a growing number of them are women."

Mr. Holman said 1 to 2 percent of his customers were women who bought cigars for themselves.

A friend of mine had an experience here the other night buying cigars, so he told me.

I have never bought cigars with life-belts around them.

She bought cigars for Has and hoped he smoked them.

"You could buy cigars enough with this to last you some time," he said insinuatingly.

Bus drivers at the end of their routes stopped in to buy cigars from the humidor.

The lobby was jammed with tourists buying cigars and rum.