EXHIBIT 10.9(A)

                                        FIRST AMENDMENT TO LEASE AGREEMENT

     AMENDMENT  dated this 10th day of October,  1998,  by and between  BROADWAY
SQUARE PARTNERS,  LLP, a Missouri  limited  liability  partnership  ("Landlord")
having its principal office at 300 West Eleventh Street,  Kansas City,  Missouri
64105,  and  UNITED  FIDELITY  LIFE  INSURANCE  COMPANY  ("Tenant")  having  its
principal office at 300 West Eleventh Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105.

     WHEREAS,  Landlord is successor  to Broadway  Square  Partners,  a Missouri
general partnership.

     WHEREAS,  Landlord and Tenant are parties to that certain  Lease  Agreement
dated February 24, 1988 (the "Lease")  relating to the premises herein described
and located in the building now known as 1055  Broadway  (formerly  310 Broadway
Square), Kansas City, Missouri.

     WHEREAS,  the  parties  which  to  amend  the  Lease  as  hereinafter  more
specifically  provided,  including the extension of the term and a change in the
amount of the base rent.

     WHEREAS,  terms which are capitalized but not defined herein shall have the
same meanings which are given to such terms in the Lease.

     NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration  of the premises and the mutual  terms,
covenants, and conditions herein contained, the receipt and legal sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

     1. The  Premises.  The premises  shall  contain  45,231  square feet of net
rentable area and shall include the areas described in Exhibit A attached hereto
and made a part of hereof (the "Premises").

     2.  Extension of the Term.  The term of the Lease is hereby  extended for a
term  commencing  immediately  upon the  expiration  of the original term of the
Lease and ending  September  30, 2010.  The extended term shall be upon the same
terms,  covenants and conditions as those of the initial term, as the same shall
have been amended by this amendment.

     3. Base Rental.  The Base Rental under the Lease for the 12th floor (22,687
square  feet) shall be $13.65 per square foot and $15.83 per square foot for the
Penthouse floor (22,544 square feet) for the period beginning  September 1, 1998
and  ending  on the  fifteenth  anniversary  of the  Commencement  Date.  On the
fifteenth and twentieth  anniversaries of the Commencement  Date the Base Rental
shall be adjusted as provided in Section 7 of the Lease, except that it shall be
increased from the amount thereof hereinabove  provided and payable on September
1, 1998, and not from the amount thereof payable on the Commencement Date or the
date of the otherwise last adjustment.

     4. Base Rental After Loan Default.  Notwithstanding  any other provision of
the Lease and this Amendment,  including without limitation Section 3 hereof, if
and when a  default  occurs  under the  Promissory  Note  (the  "Note")  made by
Landlord to Massachusetts  Mutual Life Insurance  Company ("Mass Mutual") in the
original  principal  amount of $24,000,000 or a default under any of the loan or
security documents  securing the Note (the "Loan Documents")  including the Deed
of Trust and Security Agreement,  and if such default remains uncured beyond the
period of cure  provided in the loan  documents,  the Base Rental from and after
such default shall be as follows:

         a) During the period beginning  September 1, 1998 and ending August 31,
     2003,  the  annual  Base  Rental  shall be $14.00  per  square  foot of net
     rentable area which extends to $633,234 per annum.

         b) During the period beginning  September 1, 2003 and ending August 31,
     2010,  the  annual  Base  Rental  shall be $15.00  per  square  foot of net
     rentable area which extends to $678,465 per annum.

     5. For the Benefit of Mass Mutual.  In  consideration  of the execution and
delivery by Mass  Mutual,  the  current  holder of the note,  of  Subordination,
Nondisturbance  and Attornment  Agreement  dated at the date of the Note for the
benefit of the Tenant, the legal sufficiency of which is hereby  acknowledged by
Tenant,  the rights and benefits of the  foregoing  Section 4 shall inure to the
benefit  of the  holder of the  Note,  and the  holder of the Note  shall in all
respects be entitled to enforce the  provisions  of Section 4 by all remedies at
law or in equity directly against the Tenant without joinder of Landlord.

     6. The Lease. Except as hereinabove  provided,  the Lease remains unchanged
and in full force and effect.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this First Amendment of Lease
as of the day and year first above written.


LANDLORD:                                 TENANT:

BROADWAY SQUARE PARTNERS, LLP,            UNITED FIDELITY LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
a Missouri limited liability partnership

By:     SCOL, Inc., a General Partner,
        a Missouri corporation



      By:                                     By:
      ----------------------------------      ---------------------------------
      Robert J. Graham, Secretary and
      Authorized Representative               Name:
                                              ---------------------------------

                                              Title:
                                              ---------------------------------
By:     DST SYSTEMS, INC., a General Partners,
        A Delaware corporation.



          By:
               ---------------------------------
               Vincent P. Dasta, Vice President
               and Authorized Representative