Both Uses of
pretense
in
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
- She had no compunctions about the lie and getting the doll under false pretenses.†
Chpt 27 *false pretenses = false appearances or actions to help one pretend
- Francie, who had abandoned the pretense of study, picked up McGarrity's last two words.†
Chpt 38pretense = a false appearance or action to help one pretend
Definition:
a false appearance or action to help one pretend
This is sometimes seen in the expression "false pretense" or "false pretenses" which is just emphasizing that behavior or actions do not reflect the true situation.