**RETENTION        AGREEMENT**

**WITNESSETH        THAT:**

** **

| (a)   | First                  Payment. Company will pay one-half of the Retention Payment to                  Employee promptly following the day of Closing, provided the Employee                  has                  not breached any provision of this                  Agreement. |
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| (b)   | Second                  Payment.  Promptly following the thirtieth (30th)                  day after                  Closing, Employee shall deliver a letter to Laclede in the form                  attached                  to this Agreement as Exhibit B certifying that the Employee has                  not                  breached any provision of this Agreement following                  Closing.  Upon receipt of Employee’s letter, and provided the                  Employee has not breached any provision of this Agreement prior                  to                  Closing, Company will pay promptly the remaining one-half of the                  Retention                  Payment to Employee. |
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| (c)   | Resignation/Termination.                  If, prior to Closing, Employee either (i) resigns without good                  reason or                  (ii) is terminated for cause, Employee shall forfeit all rights                  to the                  Retention Payment.  If, after Closing and through the thirtieth                  (30th) day following Closing, Employee either (i) resigns without                  good                  reason or (ii) is terminated for cause, Employee shall forfeit                  all rights                  to the second half of the Retention                  Payment. |
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|   | (1) | The                  phrase “good reason” shall mean: (i) a change in the reporting location of                  greater than fifty (50) miles from where Employee is currently                  performing                  his or her job duties; or (ii) a reduction in the base salary,                  position,                  level of responsibilities, or conditions of the job which Employee                  currently performs. |
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|   | (2) | The                  phrase “for cause” shall mean: (i) gross neglect of any of Employee’s                  duties; (ii) willful violation of any of the Company’s policies, standards                  or practices; (iii) fraud, dishonesty, or any other act of negligent,                  reckless or willful misconduct; and (iv) breach of any provision                  of this                  Agreement. |
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|   | (3) | For                  purposes of this section, if Employee is terminated for reasons                  other than                  for cause and otherwise has complied with all of the terms of this                  Agreement, then Employee will be entitled to receive the Retention                  Payment. |
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| (d)   | Stock                  Awards.   Employee has previously been awarded shares                  of Performance Contingent Restricted Stock under Laclede’s Equity                  Incentive Plan (“Plan”).  Employee acknowledges that the terms                  of the Plan and such awards provide that (i) Employee will forfeit                  and otherwise lose all rights to such shares of restricted stock                  as a                  result of no longer being employed by a Laclede affiliate, and                  (ii)                  Laclede will have no obligation or liability to Employee under                  such Plan                  or such awards following Closing. |
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|   | (1) | Earnings.  Company                  meets or exceeds its financial targets for those portions of fiscal                  2007                  and fiscal 2008 that occur within the term of this                  Agreement.  For purposes of this section, the phrase “financial                  targets” shall mean the rolling estimate for earnings for fiscal 2007 and                  the targets for earnings for fiscal 2008 provided by Company to                  Laclede at                  its August 2007 Strategic                  Workshop. |
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|   | (2) | Customers.  Company                  retains all of its significant customers on terms and pricing                  substantially similar to the terms and pricing effective for each                  such                  customer on the date of this                  Agreement. |
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|   | (b) | Payment                  of Performance Payment.  Subject to Sections 2(b)(1) and                  2(b)(2) below, if Company determines that Employee is entitled                  to the                  Performance Payment, Company will pay Employee the Performance                  Payment, if                  applicable, on the Second Payment                  Date. |
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|   | (1) | If                  on or before the thirtieth (30th) day following Closing, Employee                  either                  (i) resigns without good reason or (ii) is terminated for cause,                  Employee shall forfeit all rights to the Performance                  Payment. |
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|   | (2) | If                  Employee is terminated for reasons other than for cause and otherwise                  has                  complied with all of the terms of this Agreement, then Employee                  will be                  entitled to receive the Performance                  Payment. |
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| (a)   | Through                  the thirtieth (30th)                  day                  following Closing, Employee will use his or her best efforts to                  perform                  the responsibilities of his or her current position, and to maintain                  and                  grow the value of SM&P and its                  business. |
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| (b)   | Until                  Closing, Employee will use his or her best efforts to facilitate                  the                  Transaction, including without limitation the following, as requested                  by                  Company, (i) being available when and where reasonably necessary                  for due                  diligence purposes or otherwise, (ii) collection of due diligence                  information, (iii) preparation of analyses of SM&P and its business,                  (iv) timely review and accurate verification of proposed representations                  and warranties, (v) being positive and supportive of the Transaction                  to                  employees, customers and potential buyers, and (vi) communicating                  directly                  or indirectly with any potential Buyer or its representatives only                  through, or in the presence of, a Laclede representative designated                  by                  Laclede for such purpose, or with the express authorization of                  an officer                  of Laclede. |
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| (c)   | From                  the date of Closing through the thirtieth (30th)                  day                  following Closing, Employee will use his or her best efforts to                  aid the                  Buyer in the transition of ownership from Laclede to                  Buyer. |
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| (d)   | Until                  the earlier of (i)  thirty (30) days following Closing, or (ii)                  termination pursuant to Section 4 of this Agreement, Employee will                  not                  disclose to anyone, including without limitation, customers, employees,                  competitors, media and potential Buyers, the existence of the pending                  Transaction, the agreements, terms, conditions, negotiation or                  status                  thereof, the existence, terms or conditions of this Agreement or                  any other                  confidential information of the Company, including without limitation,                  pricing, strategic plans, customer information, marketing strategies                  or                  similar core information, except as expressly authorized by the                  Company.   This provision shall not apply to confidential                  information that becomes generally available to the public other                  than as a                  result of a disclosure by Employee.  Further, nothing in this                  provision will preclude Employee from consulting with his or her                  personal                  attorney for legal advice regarding the terms and conditions of                  this                  Agreement. |
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| (e)   | Employee                  acknowledges that nothing in this Agreement supersedes or amends                  in any                  way any confidentiality obligation that Employee owes to SM&P,                  including without limitation, any obligations existing pursuant                  to the                  Employee Confidentiality Agreement between SM&P and                  Employee. |
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| (f)   | Employee                  will not, directly or indirectly, perform any of the following                  for a                  period extending until thirty (30) days after the earlier of (i)                  Closing,                  or (ii) termination of this                  Agreement: |
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|   | (1) | solicit                  or hire or assist anyone else to solicit or hire any employee of                  SM&P,                  or seek to persuade or assist anyone else to persuade any such                  employee to                  discontinue employment with SM&P;                  or |
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|   | (2) | participate                  in, engage in, assist in, consult with, serve as an employee of                  or partner                  in, encourage or provide financial resources to any activity which                  competes with SM&P in any territories in which SM&P has conducted                  business, including without limitation solicitation of customers                  of                  SM&P for a competitor of SM&P.   In the event that                  Employee has forfeited his or her rights to the Retention Payment                  pursuant                  to Section 1(c) of this Agreement for reasons other than due to                  a breach                  of this Agreement, then this Section 3(f)(2) shall no longer apply                  and                  will not have force and effect subsequent to Employee’s employment with                  SM&P. |
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*signature        page follows*

**THIS        CONTRACT CONTAINS A BINDING ARBITRATION PROVISION WHICH MAY BE ENFORCED BY        THE        PARTIES.**

**Exhibit        A**

**Retention        Payment**

**Exhibit        B**

**Sample        Form Certification Letter**

*Re:           Employee          Certification in Accordance with Retention Agreement*