Document:

DRAFT
                               -4-
                         FIRST AMENDMENT
                     TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

     This   First   Amendment   to  Employment   Agreement   (the
"Amendment") is entered into and made effective as  of  this  5th
day  of  May, 2000, by and between Stage Stores, Inc., a Delaware
corporation  (the "Company"), and John J. Wiesner, an  individual
(the "Executive").

                           WITNESSETH:

     WHEREAS,  the  Company and Executive entered into,  executed
and  delivered a certain Employment Agreement dated February  22,
2000  (the "Agreement"), under which Agreement the Company  hired
the  Executive to perform the duties of Chairman, Chief Executive
Officer and President of the Company on a temporary basis subject
to the terms and conditions as described therein; and

     WHEREAS,  since the execution and delivery of the Agreement,
the Company has experienced financial difficulties which were not
anticipated at such time, and due to such financial difficulties,
the Company has determined that it is in the best interest of the
Company for the Executive to remain in his present capacity  with
the  Company  a  period  of time beyond  that  described  in  the
Agreement   including   but   not  limited   to   any   potential
reorganization process; and

     WHEREAS, the Company desires to amend the Agreement in order
for  the  Executive to remain with the Company; and the Executive
desires  to remain with the Company in his current capacity  upon
the terms and conditions set forth in this Amendment.

     NOW,  THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual
agreements herein contained, the parties hereby agree as follows:

      1.   The definition of "Guaranteed Term" in Section 1(f) is
hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

          "(f)  "Guaranteed Term" shall mean that period of  time
     commencing on the Effective Date and concluding on the  date
     of   consummation  of  the  confirmation  of  any  plan   of
     reorganization or the effective date of a Termination Notice
     voluntarily submitted by Executive to the Company, whichever
     is  earlier.  The Guaranteed Term shall not be shortened  by
     termination of the Executive's employment by the Company  or
     by Death, Disability or any other reason."

     2.    The  definition of "Option" in Section 1(g) is  hereby
deleted in its entirety.

      3.    Section  6 "Stock Options" is hereby deleted  in  its
entirety.

     4.   Section 8(iii) is hereby deleted in its entirety.

      5.   In section 10, the last clause of ", including but not
limited to the Option" is hereby deleted.

      6.    Section  4(iv) is hereby added to the  Agreement  and
shall read in its entirety as follows:
          "(iv)       In  the  event  the  Company  completes   a
     successful  reorganization,  the  Company  shall   pay   the
     Executive  a  bonus in an amount approved by the  applicable
     bankruptcy  court,  and such amount shall  be  paid  to  the
     Executive in a lump sum payment, less applicable withholding
     for  taxes,  which payment shall be due and payable  on  the
     date  such  bonus  is approved by the applicable  bankruptcy
     court."
     7.   Section 4(v) is hereby added to the Agreement and shall
read in its entirety as follows:
          "(v)  Company  shall indemnify and hold  the  Executive
     harmless from and against any and all claims or liabilities,
     of whatever nature, asserted by Carl Tooker, Steve Lovell or
     any  other present or past officer, director or employee  of
     the  Company, to the fullest extent permitted by law and the
     Company's Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and Bylaws,
     as  amended, including but not limited to advancing any  and
     all  necessary  costs and expenses for  defending  any  such
     claims as the same are incurred."
     8.     The   Company   and  Executive  hereby   voluntarily,
unconditionally and irrevocably agree to: (i) terminate,  rescind
and  revoke  any  and all options, warrants or other  instruments
which may be or are convertible into securities of the Company or
any  of its subsidiaries or affiliates, including but not limited
to  that  certain Incentive Stock Option Agreement dated February
22,  2000, and (ii) release and forever discharge the other  from
any  and all duties, obligations, liabilities or responsibilities
owed  or  accruing to the other under any such options  including
but  not  limited  to  any  duties, obligations,  liabilities  or
responsibilities as a result of the termination,  rescission  and
revocation of such options.
     9.      All    of    the   terms,   conditions,   covenants,
representations,  warranties  and  agreements  contained  in  the
Agreement, except as to the extent amended by this Amendment, and
all   other  documents,  instruments  and  agreements  made   and
delivered in connection therewith, shall remain in full force and
effect  and  continue to be binding upon the parties  hereto  and
thereto  according to their respective terms.  By  executing  and
delivering  this  Amendment,  the Company  and  Executive  hereby
expressly  ratify  and reaffirm the terms and conditions  of  the
Agreement.
     10.  Governing Law.  All issues and questions concerning the
construction,  validity, enforcement and interpretation  of  this
Amendment shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with,
the  laws  of  the State of Texas, without giving effect  to  any
choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether  of
the  State  of Texas or any other jurisdiction) that would  cause
the  application of the laws of any jurisdiction other  than  the
State  of  Texas.  Accordingly, the internal law of the State  of
Texas  shall control the interpretation and construction of  this
Amendment,  even  if under the jurisdiction's choice  of  law  or
conflict  of  law  analysis, the substantive law  of  some  other
jurisdiction would ordinarily apply.
     11.   Successors  and  Assigns.   This  Amendment  shall  be
binding  upon the successors, assigns, heirs, legatees, devisees,
executors,     administrators,    receivers,     trustees     and
representatives of Executive and shall inure to  the  benefit  of
the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective successors,
assigns, administrators, receivers, trustees and representatives.

     12.   Multiple Counterparts.  This Amendment may be executed
in  two  or  more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed  an
original, but all of which together shall constitute one and  the
same agreement.

     13.  Further Assurances.  Executive and the Company covenant
and  agree that each will execute any additional instruments  and
take  any  actions as may be reasonably requested  by  the  other
party  to confirm or perfect or otherwise to carry out the intent
and purpose of this Amendment.

     14.    Entire   Agreement.   This  Amendment  contains   and
constitutes  the  entire  agreement  between  Executive  and  the
Company   and   supersedes  and  cancels  any  prior  agreements,
representations, warranties, or communications, whether  oral  or
written,  between  Executive  and the  Company  relating  to  the
subject matter hereof in any way.

      IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed  and
delivered  this Amendment effective as of the day and year  first
above written.

     "COMPANY"                STAGE STORES, INC.,
                              a Delaware corporation

                              By: /s/Ron Lucas
                              Name: Ron Lucas
                              Title: EVP, Human Resources

     "EXECUTIVE"              By: /s/ John J. Wiesner
                                   JOHN J. WIESNER, an individualEXHIBIT 4.13
                            ------------

                         COMMERCE GROUP CORP.
                        A Wisconsin Corporation

                    Two-Year Stock Option to Purchase
                  500,000 Shares of Commerce Group Corp.
                Common Stock at a Price of $.50 Per Share

     For value and consideration received on this 12th day of July, 1999,
Commerce Group Corp. (Commerce), a Wisconsin Corporation, whose business
address is 6001 North 91st Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53225, grants a
stock option (stock option agreement) to General Lumber & Supply Co.,
Inc., whose address is 6001 North 91st Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
53225, (Option Holder), under the following terms and conditions:

     1. Issue.  Option Holder will have the right to purchase up to five
hundred thousand  (500,000) Commerce common shares, ten cents ($0.10) par
value, hereinafter referred to as "option shares," at a price (option
price) of fifty cents ($.50) per share, payable in cash.

     Upon tender of the sum of U.S. two hundred fifty thousand dollars
(U.S. $250,000), Commerce agrees to issue to Option Holder, a total of
five hundred thousand (500,000) Commerce validly issued nonassessable and
fully paid common shares, ten cents ($0.10) par value.  Cancellation of
debt owed to Option Holder will be acceptable in lieu of cash.

     2.  Exercise Date.  Option Holder will have the right to purchase
the common shares at any time during a two (2) year period of time,
commencing from the date of this agreement and expiring on July 12, 2001.

     3.  Tender.  At any time the Option Holder of this stock option
agreement, pursuant to the foregoing terms and conditions, shall exercise
the right to purchase these option shares, the Option Holder of said
stock option agreement shall surrender this stock option agreement for
said shares of option shares, accompanied by proper instruments of
surrender, to Commerce, at its principal office, accompanied by a written
notice to the effect that the Option Holder elects to exercise its stock
option agreement, and stating the name or names in which the certificate
or certificates for shares of option shares shall be issued.  As promptly
as practicable, after the receipt of such notice and the surrender of
this stock option agreement, Commerce shall issue and deliver to Option
Holder or such other holder of the stock option agreement, or to the
written order of such holder, a new certificate or certificates for the
number of shares of option shares issuable upon surrendering of this s
tock option agreement.  Such issuance of option shares shall be deemed to
have been effected on the date on which such notice shall have been
received by Commerce and such stock option agreement shall have been
surrendered as hereinabove provided.  All shares of option shares which
may be issued upon exercise of the stock option agreement, shall, upon
issuance, be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable by Commerce.

     4.  Partial Purchases.  Option Holder will not have the right to
purchase the option shares in blocks of not less than 50,000 shares.

     5.  Notice of Change of Rights.  Commerce agrees to notify Option
Holder as follows:

         a.  When Commerce shall declare a dividend (or make any other
     distribution) on its option shares, payable otherwise than in cash
     out of the consolidated earnings surplus of Commerce, its
     subsidiaries, and the Commerce/Sanseb Joint Venture (Joint Venture);
     or

         b.  When Commerce shall authorize the granting to the holders of
     its common shares of rights to subscribe for or purchase any shares
     of capital stock of any class or any other rights; or

<PAGE>

         c.  Of any reclassification of the common shares of Commerce
     other than a subdivision or a combination of its outstanding shares
     of such stock, of any consolidation or merger to which Commerce is a
     party and for which approval of any stockholders of Commerce is
     required or of the sale or transfer of all or substantially all the
     assets of Commerce, its subsidiaries, and the Joint Venture; or

         d.  Of the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or
     winding up of Commerce; then Commerce shall cause to be filed at the
     office of Commerce, and shall cause to be mailed to the option
     holders of this stock option agreement, at their addresses as they
     shall then appear on the records of Commerce, at least ten days
     prior to the record date specified below, a notice stating:

             (1) the record date for such dividend, distribution or
         rights or, if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which
         the holders of the option shares of record to be entitled to
         such dividend, distribution or rights are to be determined; or

             (2)  the date on which such reclassification, consolidation,
         merger, sale, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding up
         is expected to become effective, and the date as of which it is
         expected that holders of the option shares of record shall be
         entitled to exchange their option shares for securities or other
         property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation,
         merger, sale, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding up.

     6.  Procedures.  The Board of Directors of Commerce, or a committee
established by it, shall have the right, from time to time, to adopt
other specific rules of procedure to carry out the full intent of this
stock option agreement, and to do all reasonable acts necessary
therefore; provided that such rules and acts shall not violate the
specific terms of this stock option agreement.

     7.  Dividends.  Until such time as the Option Holder purchases the
option shares under this stock option agreement, the Option Holder shall
not be entitled to receive such dividends and distributions as from time
to time may be declared by the Board of Directors of Commerce.

     8.  Voting.  The Option Holders of this stock option agreement shall
have no voting rights.

     9.  Notice.  The Option Holders of the stock option agreement shall
be entitled to any notice of shareholders' meetings.

    10.  Reservation of Common Stock.  Commerce shall at all times
reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued common
shares, or shall authorize from time to time, an increase in such shares
if required, of such number of its duly authorized shares of common
stock, as shall be sufficient to effect the exercise of this stock option
agreement.

    11.  Registration.  Option Holder, as owner of this stock option
agreement, by acceptance thereof, shall agree for itself and for all
subsequent owners, that before any disposition is made of this stock
option agreement or of the option shares, Option Holder shall give
written notice to Commerce describing briefly the manner of any such
proposed disposition.  No such disposition shall be made unless and until
(1) Commerce has advised such owners that it has received an opinion from
its legal counsel satisfactory to it that no post-effective amendment to
Commerce's registration statement, if any, filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (Commission) under the Securities Act of 1933 (Act)
and no other registration under said Act is required to such disposition,
or (2) such post-effective amendment or such other registration has been
filed by Commerce and made effective by the Commission, provided,
however, that Commerce shall have no obligation to so file.

    12.  Investment Letter Agreement.  The Option Holder agrees to
execute an investment letter agreement in such form as is attached to
this agreement and identified as Exhibit A.

<PAGE>

    13.  Entire Agreement.  This agreement is the entire, final and
complete agreement pertaining to the subject matter hereof, and it
supersedes and replaces all written and oral agreements heretofore made
or existing by and between the parties or their representatives insofar
as this subject matter is concerned.  Neither party shall be bound by any
promises, representations or agreements except as are herein expressly
set forth.

    14.  Applicable Law.  This agreement is being delivered in and shall
be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of
the State of Wisconsin, United States.

    15.  Binding Effect.  This agreement shall be binding upon and inure
to the benefit of all parties and all parties and their respective
successors, heirs, assigns, and legal representatives are subject to its
terms.

     In Witness Whereof, Commerce has executed this stock option
agreement on the day and date first written above.

                              COMMERCE GROUP CORP.

                              /s/ Edward L. Machulak
                              __________________________________________
                              By:  Edward L. Machulak, President

This stock option agreement is accepted by General Lumber & Supply Co.,
Inc. on the 12th day of July, 1999.

GENERAL LUMBER & SUPPLY CO., INC.

/s/ Sylvia Machulak
________________________________
By:  Sylvia Machulak, President

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