Document:

Exhibit 4.26

                  CORDIANT COMMUNICATIONS GROUP

8 April 1998

Mr J M Tyrrell
Tree Tops
Aldworth Road
Upper Basildon
Nr. Reading
Berks. RG8 8NH

Dear Mr Tyrrell

Appointment to the Board of Directors of Cordiant Communications Group plc

On behalf of the Board,  I have set out below the terms that we have  agreed for
your appointment as non-executive director of Cordiant  Communications Group plc
(the "Company").

1.   Appointment

     The  Board is  pleased  to  confirm  your  appointment  as a  non-executive
     director  with  effect  from  1st May  1998.  Subject  to  ratification  by
     shareholders  at the next Annual General  Meeting of the Company and to the
     Company's Articles of Association,  your appointment will be for an initial
     fixed  period of three  years from the 1st May 1998.  The Board may, at its
     absolute  discretion,  renew your appointment for a further fixed period of
     three years (the  "Renewal  Period")  from the expiry of the initial  fixed
     period.

2.   Duties

     i)   You will,  of  course,  be  subject  to the  normal  legal  duties and
          responsibilities of a director.

     ii)  As an independent  director, we expect you to bring objectivity to our
          discussions,  and to help the Board  provide  the  Company  with sound
          leadership, as well as ensuring high standards of corporate governance
          and financial probity and the effectiveness of the management team.

     iii) You are  expected  to  attend  each  meeting  of the  Board and of any
          Committees to which you are appointed,  the Annual General Meeting and
          any Extraordinary General Meetings of the Company.

                       Cordiant Communications Group plc
    121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London W2 6JR, England, Tel: 0171 262 4343
                               Fax: 0171 262 4300
                       Registered Number 1320869 England

<PAGE>
     iv)  Appropriate  office and secretarial  facilities will be made available
          to you on seven days notice to the Company Secretary.

     v)   You will also serve on both our  Remuneration & Nominations  Committee
          and  Audit  Committee.   The  Remuneration  &  Nominations   Committee
          generally  meets  four  to six  times  each  year,  whilst  the  Audit
          Committee meets at least twice a year, usually in March and August.

     vi)  You are welcome to request further  information  about any part of the
          Group or to visit any of the Group's operations at any time.

     vii) During your  appointment  you will comply with the  Company's  Code of
          Conduct which incorporates the Stock Exchange Model Code of Securities
          Transactions by Directors of Public Companies.

3.   Powers

     A schedule of the authorities and powers  specifically  vested in the Board
     and its various  Committees  will be sent to you  separately by the Company
     Secretary.

4.   Fees

     i)   For your duties as a non-executive  director, the Company will pay you
          an annual director's fee of (pound)20,000 (or such other fee as may be
          determined in accordance  with the Company's  Articles of Association)
          in equal quarterly  instalments,  in arrears,  subject to deduction of
          tax and national insurance contributions.

     ii)  The Company will pay you allowances in connection  with your duties as
          a  non-executive  director in the amounts set out below (or such other
          amount (s) as may from time to time be  determined  by the  Company in
          general  meeting),  in each  case  exclusive  of Value  Added  Tax but
          subject to deduction of tax and National  Insurance  contributions (if
          applicable):

          a)   (pound)600  for each  meeting of the  directors of the Company or
               any Committee thereof which you attend in person;

          b)   (pound)500  for each  meeting of the  directors of the Company or
               any Committee thereof which you attend by telephone; and

          c)   (pound)250 per calendar quarter for you acting as Chairman of any
               committee of the directors of the Company.

<PAGE>
     iii) You will not be entitled to participate in any Company share, bonus or
          pension schemes or other benefit in kind  arrangements of the Company.
          The Company does, however,  currently maintain indemnity insurance for
          its  directors,  details  of which  are  available  from  the  Company
          Secretary.

5.   Expenses

     i)   The  Company  will  reimburse  you in full for all  reasonable  out of
          pocket  expenses  which  you  may  properly  incur  in the  course  of
          performing your duties as a non-executive  director in accordance with
          the Company's normal procedures.

     ii)  You may, with the approval of the Board,  be reimbursed for your legal
          costs  in  seeking  separate   independent  legal  advice  about  your
          responsibilities  as a director of the Company,  should  circumstances
          arise in which it becomes necessary for you to do so.

6.   Review

     The Board will review your contribution and effectiveness annually.

7.   Termination

     i)   Your  appointment  will at all times be terminable by your resignation
          or your removal from office under the Articles of Association.  If you
          wish to resign, you should give the Company one month's notice of your
          intention  to  do so to  enable  a  replacement  to be  appointed  and
          announcements to be made.

     ii)  Your appointment will terminate automatically upon:-

          a)   the expiry of the initial fixed period,  unless renewed, in which
               case the expiry of the Renewal Period;

          b)   your  vacating  office  under  Article  104  of the  Articles  of
               Association; or

          c)   your being  removed  from office as a director by any  resolution
               duly proposed and passed by the members of the Company.

     iii) On termination of your appointment,  for whatever reason, you will not
          be entitled to any compensation for loss of office.
<PAGE>
8.   Disclosure of Interests

     I would be grateful if you could write to the Company  Secretary as soon as
     possible  to  disclose  your  interests.  You  should set out in full those
     interests  of both  yourself  and your  family of which you and the Company
     will need to be aware in order to avoid any  conflict of  interests  and in
     order to comply with the statutory requirements.  If you have any questions
     regarding  this  disclosure,  please  speak to the Company  Secretary.  The
     Company  Secretary  will also  arrange for you to sign a Form 288a on which
     the Registrar of Companies  must be notified of your  appointment.  On that
     form you will also be required to list all other directorships of companies
     incorporated  in Great Britain that you hold or have held within the last 5
     years.

Please confirm your agreement to these terms by signing the enclosed copy letter
and returning it to me. I look forward to seeing you at our next Board meeting.

Yours sincerely

/s/ [illegible]
-----------------------------
Chairman
For and on behalf of
Cordiant Communications Group plc

I agree to the terms and conditions set out above relating to my appointment as
a non-executive director of the Company.

/s/ James Tyrrell                     14th April 1998
-------------------------             -------------------------
                                      Date

<PAGE>

                          CORDIANT COMMUNICATIONS GROUP

12 March 2001

Mr J M Tyrrell
Tree Tops
Aldworth Road
Upper Basildon
Nr READING
RG8 8NH

Dear Mr Tyrrell,

Re-appointment to the Board of Directors of Cordiant Communications Group plc
("the Company")

Pursuant to the minutes of a meeting of the Directors on 6 March, I am pleased
to confirm your re-appointment to the Board of Directors of the Company. Subject
to the approval of shareholders at the AGM in June, your appointment will be for
a further period of three years with effect from 1 May 2001.

All other terms of your appointment remain as per the appointment letter dated 8
April 1998.

Please confirm your agreement to the terms of your re-appointment by
signing and returning the enclosed copy letter.

Kind regards.

Yours sincerely,
For and on behalf of Cordiant Communications Group plc

/s/ Denise Williams
-------------------
Denise Williams
Secretary

I agree to the terms and conditions set out above relating to my re-appointment
as a non-executive director of the Company.

/s/ [illegible]
----------------------------

                       Cordiant Communications Group plc
    121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London W2 6JR, England, Tel: 020 7262 4343
                               Fax: 020 7706 4327
                       Registered Number 1320869 England<PAGE>

                                                                  EXHIBIT 10.7.3

                                   AMENDMENT 2
                                       OF
                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

         THIS AMENDMENT (this "Amendment") of the Employment Agreement by and
between Heritage Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("HHI"), and James E.
Bertelsmeyer ("Bertelsmeyer" or "Employee"), dated June 15, 2000 (the
"Employment Agreement"), is made and entered into as of the first day of April,
2003, by and between U. S. Propane, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership
("Company") and Bertelsmeyer.

                                    RECITALS

         WHEREAS, the Company replaced HHI as the general partner of Heritage
Propane Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the "Partnership") and
Heritage Operating, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the "Operating
Partnership") on February 4, 2002, and thereby succeeded to the rights and
obligations of HHI under Bertelsmeyer's Employment Agreement; and

         WHEREAS, by Amendment No. 1 the Employment Agreement was amended on
August 10, 2002; and

         WHEREAS, the parties hereto desire that Bertelsmeyer continue his at
will employment relationship with the Company, on the terms and conditions set
forth in the Employment Agreement except as previously and hereby amended
herein.

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants,
representations, warranties and agreements contained herein, and for other good
and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby
acknowledged, the parties hereto consent and agree as follows:

         1.       Section 3.1 of Bertelsmeyer's Employment Agreement is hereby
amended to provide that Bertelsmeyer's compensation, last amended to be $75,000
per year, shall be computed and paid as follows:

                  A.       From and after April 1, 2003, Bertelsmeyer shall
         receive no cash salary for his services to the Company, but shall be
         entitled to receive, when issued in accordance herewith, Partnership
         Common Units from time to time.

                  B.       The number of Common Units issuable hereunder shall
         be determined on each March 1 and September 1 (each a "Calculation
         Date") of the term hereof.

                  C.       The number of Common Units issuable will be
         determined at the rate of the full number of Common Units resulting
         from dividing $6,250.00 by the numerical average of the ten (10)
         closing prices of the Common Units on the stock exchange where they are
         listed for the ten (10) trading days immediately preceding the
         Calculation Date times the number of full months served under this
         Agreement since the next preceding Calculation

<PAGE>

         Date or in the case of the initial Calculation Date April 1, 2003 (each
         a "Semiannual Grant").

                  D.       Each Semiannual Grant shall vest and be issued (the
         "Issue Date") five (5) years following the Calculation Date, provided
         that Bertelsmeyer shall have faithfully performed his obligations under
         the Employment Agreement up to and including the applicable Issue Date.
         Bertelsmeyer's continued employment shall not be a condition to the
         vesting and issuance of the Common Units, but his violation of a
         provision of the Employment Agreement (for example, non-competition)
         would be a reason that the Common Units previously calculated for
         future vesting would not vest.

                  E.       The issuance of the Partnership Common Units shall be
         subject to the terms of Annex I attached hereto and incorporated herein
         by reference.

         2.       Except as set forth herein, the terms and provisions of
Bertelsmeyer's Employment Agreement are hereby ratified and confirmed, and shall
remain in full force and effect.

         3.       Bertelsmeyer acknowledges that the consideration for entering
into this Amendment is Bertelsmeyer's continued relationship with the Company.

         4.       This Amendment is not intended to create any extension or
renewal of the term of employment set forth in Bertelsmeyer's Employment
Agreement, and Bertelsmeyer acknowledges that his relationship with the Company
is currently and shall continue to be "at will" employment.

         5.       This Amendment may be executed by the parties hereto by
facsimile signature or in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be
deemed to be an original, but all of which constitute one and the same
agreement.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have hereunto subscribed their
names on the day and year first above written.

U. S. PROPANE, L.P.

By U.S. Propane, L.L.C., General Partner

By: _______________________________________    _________________________________
       H. Michael Krimbill, President and      James E. Bertelsmeyer
       Chief Executive Officer

       "Company"                                  "Bertelsmeyer" or "Employee"

                                      - 2 -

<PAGE>

                                     ANNEX I

         A.       Transferability. No Common Units granted under this award
shall be transferable by the Employee other than by will or the laws of descent
and distribution.

         B.       Adjustments. In the event that (i) any change is made to the
Common Units deliverable under this award or (ii) Heritage Propane Partners,
L.P. (the "Partnership") makes any distribution of cash, Common Units or other
property to unitholders which results from the sale or disposition of a major
asset or separate operating division of the Partnership or any other
extraordinary event and, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, such change
or distribution would significantly dilute the value of the Common Units
issuable to the Employee hereunder, then the Board of Directors may make
appropriate adjustments in the maximum number of Common Units deliverable under
this Agreement. The adjustments determined by the Board of Directors shall be
final, binding and conclusive.

         C.       No Fractional Units. The employer will not be required to
deliver any fractional Common Units pursuant to this award. The Board of
Directors, in its discretion, may provide for the elimination of fractions or
for the settlement of fractions in cash.

         D.       Withholding of Taxes. To the extent that the employer is
required to withhold federal, state, local or foreign taxes in connection with
any grant or payment made to the Employee or any other person under this award,
or is requested by the Employee to withhold additional amounts with respect to
such taxes, it will be a condition to the receipt of such payment that the
Employee or such other person make arrangements satisfactory to the employer for
the payment of balance of the such taxes required or requested to be withheld,
which arrangements in the discretion of the Board of Directors may include the
relinquishment of a portion of each person's issuable Common Units.

         E.       Investment Representation. Unless the Common Units issuable
under this award have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "1933 Act") (and in case the Employee has been deemed an affiliate
(for securities law purposes) of the general partner of the general partner of
the Partnership or the Partnership), and such Common Units have been registered
under the 1933 Act for resale by the Employee (or the Partnership has determined
that an exemption from registration is available), the employer may require
prior to and as a condition of the delivery of any Common Units that the
Employee furnish the Partnership with a written representation in a form
prescribed by the Board of Directors to the effect that such person is acquiring
said Common Units solely with a view to investment for his own account and not
with a view to the resale or distribution of all or any part thereof, and that
such person will not dispose of any of such Common Units otherwise than in
accordance with the provisions of Rule 144 under the 1933 Act unless and until
either the Common Units are registered under the 1933 Act or the Partnership is
satisfied that an exemption from such registration is available.

         F.       Compliance with Securities Laws. Notwithstanding anything
herein or in any other agreement to the contrary, the Partnership shall not be
obligated to sell or issue any Common Units to the employer for delivery under
this award unless and until the Partnership is satisfied that such sale or
issuance complies with (i) all applicable requirements of the securities
exchange

<PAGE>

on which the Common Units are traded (or the governing body of the principal
market in which such Units are traded, if such Common Units are not then listed
on an exchange), (ii) all applicable provisions of the 1933 Act, and (iii) all
other laws or regulations by which the Partnership is bound or to which the
Partnership is subject. The employer acknowledges that, as the general partner
of the general partner of the Partnership, it is an affiliate of the Partnership
under securities laws and it shall comply with such laws and obligations of the
Partnership relating thereto as if they were directly applicable to the
employer.

                                      - 2 -

Source: [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00053-of-00352.parquet"}, [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00053-of-00352.parquet"}]]